


Connie Swap Episode 20: Together Breakfast

by br42, BurdenKing, MjStudioArts



Series: Connie Swap [20]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Anxiety, Art, Deaf, Deaf Character, Drama, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Gem Fusion, Gen, Momswap, Pictures, Platonic Romance, Romance, Slice of Life, Steven Universe AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-04-13 23:59:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14123676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/br42/pseuds/br42, https://archiveofourown.org/users/BurdenKing/pseuds/BurdenKing, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MjStudioArts/pseuds/MjStudioArts
Summary: Lapis and Peridot have been awfully flirty since the visit to the sanctuary. After the pair of gems leave for a sunrise breakfast, Connie and Steven stumble across something shocking.





	1. Prologue

Connie woke to her pillow vibrating, or more accurately, the tactile alarm pad that was tucked beneath her pillow making the whole thing tremble. It had been one of the devices Steven and his dad had brought over after she'd gone deaf that had helped her cope with her new reality.

Silencing, well, stilling her alarm, Connie sat up and put in the hearing aids Peridot had assembled by marrying conventional hearing aids to gemtech components. The technician had used three times as many words to say it, but when Connie had pressed, the truth was that these were basically regular hearing aids with miniature power sinks built into them, like the color-shifting necklace she routinely wore to keep from shorting out the Beach House's electronics.

"-would you do that?!" squawked Peridot.

Connie looked around the empty Beach House confused until she noticed the temple door open. To her considerable surprise, she saw Jasper standing across from a very perturbed Peridot. When had Jasper come home?

"I was on patrol," was the Quartz' terse answer.

There were holographic displays hovering around Peridot, a number of them flashing angrily for the green gem's attention, which was why Connie hadn't seen Lapis until she stepped out from Peridot's data shadow.

"And this patrol. Did it happen to be near the fountain?" drawled Lapis.

Jasper was silent for a beat too long, which was all the answer Lapis needed. "Yeah, I thought so. How bad's it gonna be this time, Tigger?"

Connie rose from bed and began to pad down the loft stairs still in her pajamas. A part of her missed the luxury of waking up to pre-warmed slippers even though the rest of her overwhelmingly _did not_ miss what had prompted it.

Jasper looked a little different. It took Connie a moment to realize that the gem's constant aura of confidence seemed... diminished; her shoulders drooped a little where they would otherwise be pulled back proudly and her head had a downward cast to it where she would normally be staring the world in the face as if daring it to try something.

"We fought a little over four hours. Nothing was damaged except for the brambles."

"FOUR HOURS?!" shrieked Peridot.

In contrast, Lapis was cool. "And our fusion friend?"

The droop in Jasper's shoulders deepened marginally but her hands clenched into fists. "The apostate fled." A pause, then, "Nothing was damaged except for the brambles."

"You fought Garnet?!"

It took Connie a moment to realize the person who had spoken was her.

Lapis looked her way but Peridot was too busy pacing and muttering to be diverted. Jasper glanced at her gemstone, the yellow stone catching the light, and then stiffened, as though suppressing a flinch.

"Hey Con-con. Did these goofs' argument wake you up?" asked Lapis as she walked over.

Connie stared at her a moment and then gestured to her hearing aids.

"Oh, right." Lapis gave her an apologetic smile. "Well, today's lesson is why you don't poke the seer with nothing but time on her gauntlets."

"Gah! Another array just stopped broadcasting!" cried Peridot.

"Where?" barked Jasper, her expression belligerent, bordering on eager.

The Quartz was already halfway to the warp pad by the time Peridot had finished telling her the coordinates.

Lapis cupped her hands around her mouth and called after the warrior. "She's gonna be gone by the time you get there."

A growl followed by the chime of the warp pad was their only response.

Connie rubbed the sleep from one eye. "Lapis, this is one of those times where you guys know stuff and I have no idea what's going on and everyone is usually too busy to tell me anything until we're gearing up for the mission."

Another constellation of holograms started flashing. "Gnaaah!" cried Peridot in the background.

"Garnet is half Sapphire," began Lapis.

"Oooh," said Connie in a low voice. Since her primary teacher was a certified Kindergartner, Connie had been drilled on the different types of gems since longer than she could remember.

"Yeah. If it ever came to an honest fight, the apostate would have been apost-splatted..." She paused and grimaced. "Sorry, that sounded better in my head. Anyway, she's the real deal in a fight but the three of us could take her down in an open brawl. So she never gives us one; if a fight isn't going to go her way, she doesn't show up. Drives OJ nuts."

"Okay, that makes sense," said Connie. She had only encountered Garnet twice, the second of which she'd so far neglected to mention to the gems, but each time the fusion had seemed confident and capable. "But what does that have to do with Peridot's stuff failing?"

"She can't beat us and we can't catch her to take her down, so when we do something that ticks her off, she goes and breaks Dot's stuff."

More noises of ire and distress from Peridot underscored Lapis' point.

"Is that what's been happening with the sensor towers?" Ever since January, a half dozen or more of the structures had been toppled and damaged.

Lapis shook her head. "Naw. Least, I doubt it. No one had poked the fusion for years until I had my little fountain visit, and when Garnet pulls a smash-and-dash, it usually looks different. Punchier. She's half Ruby, after all."

Connie nodded, digesting this. "How long will this go on?"

Lapis gave a humorless half-smile. "As long as Garnet wants, as long as she thinks it'll take to prove her point not to mess with her. It's been thousands of years. Well, a couple hundred in Peri's case. If miss two-for-one were a problem we could remove, we would have already."

Where it was charging up in her loft, Connie's phone rang.

Lapis clapped her hands together. "Better tell Stevedore that training's been cancelled. Jasper, Dot, and I are gonna be busy until this blows over." In a quieter voice, the gem muttered, "And a big 'jank you' to whatever set OJ off this time."

Connie swallowed, remembering Steven’s and her clash with the Quartz four days ago. Saying nothing, she jogged over to answer her phone while Lapis started steering Peridot toward the warp pad.

"Hey Steven," answered Connie. "Yeah. Uh huh. So, Jasper's back but it looks like we're going to have some time to ourselves." She nodded despite him being unable to see her. "Yeah, I'll tell you more once I get to your place. How long?" she said, echoing his question aloud.

She looked over to see Lapis give Connie a tiny wave before she and a still-ranting Peridot vanished into a pillar of light.

"I'm not sure."


	2. Going Forth in July

Lapis willed the temple door open while still damp from a swim. She was about to walk into the Beach House proper when she paused and hydrokinetically whisked the water off her, hurling the excess off into the distance of her room.

As much fun as it was riling Dot up with a wet floor, it didn't jive with this streak of good behavior Lapis had been trying on for size lately. She couldn't say it was a natural fit for her, but, well, it had been more than three hundred years of on-again-off-again so maybe a change was good.

Lapis glanced at the bathroom but didn't see the technician inside her 'command center' studying squiggly lines on those hidden displays. _Oh right, Con-con put her foot down after she and Steven spent all day yesterday having to step over Dot each time they wanted to wash up._

She instead found the green cutie busy at the kitchen counter, looking at print-outs of squiggly lines while holograms buzzed around her. At least most of 'em weren't flashing at her like they'd been the last two days. A glance around confirmed the place was empty save for her and an oh-so-distracted Peridot.

 _Okay, maybe just a little bad behavior,_ she thought with a smirk.

Fluttering over the kitchen divider nearest the warp pad, Lapis was able to sneak up behind Peridot. She grabbed the gem around her hips and blew a raspberry into the crook of her neck before she knew what was happening.

Peridot let out a squeak, dropping the print-outs to the counter as she grasped at Lapis' arms. "Laz! S-Stop!" she laughed, struggling to get free.

Lapis complied and smiled, leaning her head on a green shoulder. "Hey. You're looking less overworked than usual. Is the G-squad cutting us a break?"

"So it would appear. Either Jasper's continuous patrolling has acted as deterrent-"

Lapis snorted.

Peridot paused but didn't argue. "-Or the fusion's punitive sabotage has ceased."

"You know what I think?" said Lapis, eyes closed as leaned into Peridot for support.

She could hear the smile in Dot's voice. "Why don't you enlighten me."

"I think if we're getting a day off, we take it. So, you and I should, ya know. Go out. We can find somewhere quiet and..."

She felt Peridot tense slightly.

"...talk. Hang out."

And like that, the tension was gone.

"Are you asking me out on a date, Laz?"

Lapis' eyes snapped open and the languid ease she'd been feeling nuzzled up to Peridot was whisked off her like her previous dampness. "Maybe... I-If you want to," she stammered, embarrassed, and annoyed that she was embarrassed.

 _Come on, I'm supposed to be the cool one,_ she inwardly bemoaned.

Peridot was silent for a moment, the only motion that of her floating displays flitting in the air in front of her. Then the technician drew in a deep breath, her chest and shoulders rising and, with them, Lapis' head.

The displays winked out all at once.

"I think that is a reasonable proposal. Let us depart."

* * *

Gulls squawked and scattered as a swirling vortex of water scoured the top of the water tower of filth and debris. Unsurprisingly, it was rare for the structure to get a thorough cleaning, though that was nothing a little hydrokinesis couldn't solve.

"Hey Peri, want me to chuck this gull juice at that dweeb in the fedora?" offered Lapis with a grin, all while she, or rather her water, worked.

"I'm unsure of whom you speak, but I think it best if you didn't," answered Peridot while hovering nearby, her arm outstretched and floating fingers whirling.

Once the power washing was complete, the two settled down. Peridot patted the metal dome affectionately. "There is something about being in proximity to ferrous metals that feels soothing. I'm at a loss for an explanation but the subjective experience is consistent nonetheless."

Lapis scooched a little closer and opened her mouth to speak when Peridot interrupted, a single floating digit upraised to silence her, "Note, I shall be deducting points if you make the trite 'magnetic personality' quip."

Lapis gave Peridot a sly grin. "Points, eh? Does that mean I'll get to score?"

Peridot’s blush was adorable, but a moment later Lapis noticed the growing tension in the air. _Huh?_ she wondered. Then a similar exchange from months back came to mind.

_“It looks really cute,” Lapis said. “I’m kinda curious what it’s like ...” She crouched, allowing her fingers to trail down a green arm until they gently touched a limb enhancer. “Without the hardware.” She closed her eyes, moving her lips closer._

_All of a sudden, Peridot stood up, breaking from Lapis’ proximity. Lapis’ eyes popped open, stunned. “Lapis, I think I would like to be alone for now,” Peridot said with a chill in her voice._

Lapis inwardly berated herself for falling back on old habits, then blew out a long breath. "Hey, so there's this crazy new thing I'm trying out called admitting to my mistakes. And that just then? That was one of 'em. Mind if we start over?" Lapis was staring with contrition at her toes but she turned her head just enough to see Peridot out of the corner of her vision.

A little silence passed, causing the interior of Lapis' form to churn. Just when it was getting unbearable, Peridot said, "No. Rather than starting over, I think moving forward is the superior course of action. You said something which made me uncomfortable, you acknowledge it and apologized, and now I'm forgiving you." She gave Lapis a wan smile. "Wherever this goes, let it be forward."

Lapis nodded, then managed to summon a smile to match Peridot's. "'Wherever forward.' I like it. Sounds kind of like a Ruby marching song."

A floating finger drifted over and flicked Lapis' nose in light rebuke. 

"Ha!” laughed the blue gem. “How about this, Dot: when one of us goofs, we cop to it and then zip over to a different spot? A kind of musical chairs for gaffes."

Peridot considered this. "Hmm, tethering an outward transition forward to the conversational equivalent would be a novel way of illustrating our proposed bylaw. If the transit proved sufficiently casual, it could even dull the negative association such a faux pas usually carries."

She looked pleased with the idea but there was a modicum of reluctance.

Lapis rolled her eyes then said, "Ya know, I'm pretty sure that donut shop's roof has lots of metal up top too."

Peridot's smile widened, one hand-equivalent errantly caressing the (sparkly clean) water tower exterior. "That sounds quite suitable." She then squinted, looking at something past Lapis. "Why has that human trained a primitive telescope on us?"

Lapis pivoted around, spotting the fedora jockey from before. "Looks like we've been had by the paparazzi, Peri. Let's blow this joint."

"Yes, let’s. Forward."

Lapis summoned her wings and started backstroking through the air while Peridot got her fingers up to speed. The two of them started across town while the blonde gawker below tried frantically to pivot his telescope in time.

Beneath the water tower, a medicine ball-sized blob of foul water had been hovering, because you never knew when you might need a little gull juice on short notice.

After they had passed overhead where she was confident Peridot wouldn't notice, Lapis directed the sphere over then allowed gravity to assume control. To her surprise, the sputtering below wasn't even half the reason she was smiling.

* * *

A flicker of motion caught Connie's eye and Jasper's relentless training had instilled in her the need to look. She was surprised to see Lapis winging lazily backwards while Peridot helicoptered after her. From appearances, the two were having a light-hearted conversation while they flew... somewhere.

"Don't you think?"

Connie blinked, her thoughts returning to the present. She shot Steven a wan smile. "Sorry," and she signed the sentiment as she said it, "I got distracted seeing Peridot and Lapis flying past."

Steven whipped his head to and fro until he followed Connie's pointing finger. "Oh, neat. Though I think miss Jasper would be grumpy with me for not noticing them too."

The two were sharing a basket of fry bits while sitting on a shaded bench in Dewey Park. The constant ocean breeze kept the early July heat from getting too oppressive in Beach City, but the shelter of the tree helped.

"In fairness, Jasper busts me for my situational awareness all the time," said Connie quickly. The memory of Steven as Jasper's protégé was fresh and unpleasant; Connie wasn't too upset that training had been suspended nor that Jasper had been on patrol almost constantly for days now. "Besides, we're a team; just one of us needs to notice something."

Steven smiled, though whether at her point or at her transparent attempt to help him feel better, she couldn't say. "Yeah, it's like a group project, but for destiny stuff instead of school."

Connie swallowed her mouthful of bits and looked thoughtful. "I've never actually done a group project before."

"Man, it would be so cool if you could attend school with me, Jeff, and Peedee," said Steven, his eyes twinkling. "You're so smart, and you work so hard, and you could summon force fields if the teacher ever ran out of room at the chalkboard."

Connie started to blush a little at the praise but then a similar line from Steven came to mind. _But Jasper saw what I wanted to be and she offered to train me and now, I mean, it makes so much more sense, because, Connie, you really are this smart, cool, amazing action girl so I should follow you because this has been your_ life _but I'm just getting started._

Steven's gaze had wandered elsewhere but the lack of a response drew it back. A second later his eyes widened and he gave Connie an apologetic look.

"It's fine, Steven," said Connie with less than complete conviction. "Though I'm not sure how Peridot would feel about me having other teachers. Dad took me to an optometrist and an audiologist a while back and she was touchy about it for the next couple of days."

Steven gave her a searching look then said, "I _am_ sorry for going all weird on you before."

Connie fidgeted with her hands. "I know you are, Steven. And I'm sorry I didn't notice what was going on sooner. I'm really happy you're getting more involved, but, I mean, if the situation had been reversed, you would have noticed way sooner."

There was a moment of silence followed by Steven reaching over and wiggling Connie's nose, their sign for 'It's okay' that they'd invented the day they’d first met. "We're a team; just one of us needs to notice something."

Connie felt the knot in her chest loosen and she couldn’t help but reward Steven with an earnest grin. "Destiny-" she began, extending her right hand in an invitation for a fist bump.

Steven smiled, met her fist with his own, and finished, "-Partners."

Connie's fist turned clockwise and she stuck her thumb out so that she was making a thumbs up that kind of looked like a lower-case 'd'. Steven, at the same time, rotated his fist counterclockwise and made a thumbs down, or a 'p'.

Then they swiveled their fists so Steven was the thumbs up and Connie, the thumbs down. They wiggled their thumbs at each other, made little hand explosions with their fingers, then both said at once, "Destiny Partners!"

"Yo, Buck. You ever see anything half that cute?"

Connie and Steven jumped in their seats, both looking around frantically until one spotted Jenny Pizza pointing her customary smirk their way. She was leaning against a tree, the bag from a shop just off the boardwalk dangling from one arm. Buck Dewey stood nearby holding three more bags. Looking impassively he said, "Beauty is our most immediate experience of the eternal, but that was a close second."

 _So much for situational awareness,_ thought Connie, her cheeks burning.

* * *

As much an improvement as the hearing aids were for Connie, they weren't always comfortable to wear. The weight on her ears felt odd. Her ear canal would be sore from the earmolds --the bits that actually got tucked inside her ears-- like her feet would be sore when trying to break in new shoes.

That was why it wasn't until she was finishing up her breakfast that she slipped the hearing aids in place and turned them on.

She heard... humming from the bathroom? 

After she'd chased Peridot out of there, the Beach House bathroom had been left for Connie and Steven's use. Well, and Wolf, who treated the toilet as an alternative to his water bowl.

Peering through the open doorway she saw Lapis primping in front of the mirror, a colorful fabric tied around her neck in an ostentatious bow.

"Is that a bandana?"

Lapis looked up, her expression defensive for a heartbeat before she shifted gears into glib mode. "Yeah. It was gonna be a blindfold but I just couldn't see myself wearing it."

Connie fixed Lapis with a dry expression for the duration of an imaginary rimshot. Unspoken retort delivered, she asked, "What's the occasion?"

Lapis put a hand on her hip and looked mock-offended. "Gosh, can't a girl dress up for herself?" she exclaimed, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles from her sleeves. Then she grinned, went back to fussing with the bandana, and added, "We had another quiet night, Garnet-wise, so Peri and me are gonna go violate some air traffic laws in Empire City. I gotta dress up going to the big city..." She trailed off.

After getting the bow just so, the blue-skinned magical alien turned to Connie and said, "Otherwise I'd stand out."

That managed to penetrate Connie's defenses, a smile crossing her face against her wishes. Lapis grinned in triumph.

"You and Pinkie got plans for today?"

Connie stepped back from the bathroom while Lapis stepped out. "Nothing much except going on a nature hike with Wolf. Unless..."

"Unless?"

"What's Jasper doing?" asked Connie, expression uncertain.

Lapis rolled her eyes. "OJ's still got an Orthoclase in her bonnet for some reason, so she's out patrolling for Garnet."

"So you mean-" Connie gave Lapis an amused look.

The blue gem was confused at first before she preemptively buried her face in her hands.

"-She's cruisin' for a bruisin' from the fusion," finished the teen.

Lapis groaned, then leaned against the doorframe and groaned again.

* * *

Taking care to stay well, _well_ away from the Onion gang's swath of the woods, Connie, Steven, and Wolf set out for a tromp through the forest. The one-and-a-half humans were clad in boots (steel toed, in Steven's case), shorts, and rugged shirts, with Connie wearing a ballcap to keep the sun off her face and Steven, a visor; his curly mane being too much for mortal headwear to contain.

Wolf wore a smile.

It was a clear day, on the warm side of pleasant, and the forest was teeming with non-monstrous life. Wolf spent at least as much time bounding through the underbrush chasing this or that as he did padding alongside Connie and Steven. 

An hour into their trip they found a shady spot with enough room for Connie to summon a horizontal force field: gem magic meant never wanting for someplace to sit. Connie took a long drink from her canteen while Steven tossed bits of trail mix to Wolf. Wolf was sitting up on his haunches eagerly snapping the comparatively minuscule morsels out of the air and sweeping a section of forest floor clean with his wagging tail.

"Oh, I've been meaning to ask, do the gems celebrate Independence Day?" Steven picked the chocolates out from his handful of trail mix --he'd heard it was bad for dogs-- before tossing a raisin to Wolf.

"Huh?" Connie wiped her mouth and passed the canteen to Steven; it was the squirt kind so it could be shared hygienically. Her eyes widened. "Oh! That's the day after tomorrow, isn't it?"

Steven nodded, tossed a sequence of peanuts to Wolf (who snatched them all deftly out of the air), and downed some water as well.

"Not really.” Connie raised a knee to her chest and was tying a loose boot lace. “We'd go out to watch the fireworks most years, but that was about it. Lapis cares more about grilled food than she does U.S. history, Peridot usually gives me a lecture on injury rates surrounding firecrackers and bottle rockets, and I'm not a hundred percent sure Jasper knows what countries are in the political sense."

Steven took off his visor and wiped his brow. "Okay. Well, me, mom, and dad are going to the boardwalk that evening for the celebration the mayor's putting on. You and the gems are welcome to join us."

Connie was fishing through her hiking pack for a Protes bar to snack on but she looked up to smile at Steven. "Sure. That sounds like fun." Zipping her pack back up and futzing with the bar's wrapper, Connie added, "I just hope Wolf behaves himself."

Wolf had been scouring the forest floor for the errant piece of trail mix he'd missed when he paused and looked up at Connie with large, innocent eyes.

"D'awww," said Connie and Steven, both.

Break over, the two gathered up their belongings and prepared to continue forward.

Wolf never did find the missing mix bit, but several of the beetles he'd snapped up in his hunt had made for a suitably crunchy replacement.

* * *

Even with the tunnels collapsed and new growth sprouting out of the churned up soil, there was no mistaking the clearing they'd wandered into.

This was where they'd fought the mole monster.

Connie was studying Steven's face and she was pretty sure he was mentally amending that to where _she and Wolf_ had fought the mole monster.

Wolf was snuffling up and down the length of the tunnels, though to what end Connie couldn't guess.

"Even if it happened now, I'm still not sure I'd be much help. That mole _was_ pretty loud and scary." He'd withdrawn the shield from his pack and was staring down at his reflection in the polished surface.

Connie was wearing a saber on her hip as well, the pair having long since learned to travel prepared even in and around town. "You know that's not true. Just because Jasper made things weird doesn't invalidate the training you did. You were really throwing yourself into it. And, I mean, you stood up to Jasper herself." She slipped her slight hand into Steven's comparatively large one and said, "Isn't she at least as scary as any mole monster?"

Steven angled the shield so that Connie's face was reflected over the bas-relief lotus emblazoning it. For some reason that seemed to make her friend wilt, his hand growing clammy around hers. He gave her a weak smile, then wandered over to the tree Wolf had deposited him in during the mole fight. He clambered up it and sat there, a glum-faced, curly haired gargoyle, or an owl whose Tootsie Pop had been stolen.

About a dozen times Connie started to say something up at Steven, comforting, inquiring, pleading, but each time she stopped short. It was hard but she forced herself to give Steven the space and solitude he seemed to need. She occupied herself mainly by following Wolf around on... whatever it was he was searching for.

Wolf was two feet into digging a hole through the churned earth when Connie noticed Steven descend the tree. He walked over, his expression still downcast but more resolute than before. "Thanks for being patient."

Connie nodded but couldn't leave it at that now that he'd come down. "You would do better if it happened again. You know that, right?"

Steven gave her a wan smile. "Yeah. You're right that not much can compete with miss Jasper in being big and intense and scary when she wants to be. It... It wasn't actually that that was bothering me."

"And you're sure you don't want to talk about it?" It had become clear to Connie that Steven had a better sense for other people’s feelings than she did. Which was great when it was Connie or a mutual friend who was having a problem. But when it was Steven who was upset… _I wish I could just peek inside and see what the issue was,_ she thought, not for the first time.

Meanwhile, Wolf's digging became even more intense.

"Yeah, I’m sure. But I am feeling better." He paused and added, "Though I'm a little worried about Jasper. She really cared about your mom and you don't just get over that. I mean, this is probably good for her compared to what she was doing before, but..." He turned and looked at the tree, then down at the shield he was still turning around in his hands. "It can't be easy for her," he finished.

Before Connie could answer, the air was pierced by a shrill noise. A crystal bat had apparently gotten buried rather than washed out when Lapis had flooded (and subsequently collapsed) the tunnels. The creature fluttered crazily up out of the hole, Wolf snapping and missing it as it sped out. With a drunken lurch and another shriek, the thing that was little more than a flying pair of fangs shot straight for Connie. 

With a yelp, Steven lunged forward and swatted the attacker aside using the buckler like a badminton racket.

Wolf leapt straight up, clearing a full eight feet, and snapped up the bat like it was a flying trail mix morsel. It was poofed to nothingness before he landed.

Connie and Steven spent a moment just breathing, allowing the adrenaline wave to wash over and past them. A bit later Connie said, "Thanks Steven."

He shook his head, then the two of them chuckled as much from the breaking tension as anything else. "Heh, uh, sure thing, Connie."

By the time they left the clearing, they were talking animatedly once more, the pall that had been hanging over them withdrawn.

Somehow Connie's hand had found its way to his, though neither seemed to notice.

* * *

A crowd had gathered in a corner of Times Square as a blue-skinned man in featureless black clothing (save for a vibrant bandana) was banging out a complicated beat on trash cans. He was using a pair of green drumsticks and wore a blank expression on his face.

"I loved you guys in Vegas!" shouted a woman in the audience. This earned a mute nod, followed by a grin after she tipped the blue street performer.

The blue man twirled one drumstick, then the other, then both. He began drumming on the trash cans with his bare, blue hands. The green drumsticks remained twirling in midair.

The crowd surged forward at that, the overturned trash can lid in front of his ad hoc drum set quickly filling with bills.

After finishing his percussive performance, the blue man picked up the money-laden lid like a waiter holding a tray and then wandered off toward a nearby alley.

"Where's he goin'?" asked a man from the crowd, a tourist judging from his 'I heart Empire' t-shirt.

"Eh, just part of the act," answered the vocal woman from before, clearly glad to get to showcase her Blue Man Group knowledge. "In Vegas they pretended they stumbled onto stage too."

Down the alley and out of sight, the blue 'man' became an indistinct azure blur, shrinking down into a svelte woman wearing long sleeves and short jeans, a tear-shaped gem set in the center of her back. 

"I love that con! I don't even have to do a silly voice or pretend I know James Cameron."

Her 'drumsticks' floated over and up to the green gem sitting on a nearby fire escape landing. "They do fit your aesthetic surprisingly well." She spent a moment to adjust the red bowtie she'd worn as a concession to big city fashion.

Being the only one with pockets, Lapis shoveled money into her jeans. "Come on, Pericles. I'm treating you to the finest street food Empire City has to offer."

Peridot rolled her eyes but smiled, the two taking flight up and out of the alley soon after.

* * *

"Hey Dot, do you think we invented kaiju?" Lapis took a bite of shawarma while her companion finished chewing, the pair flying eye-level with some of the higher high-rises.

"Personally or are you speaking of gemkind more generally?" A doner kebab, heavy on the tzatziki sauce, was held securely in a quintet of floating fingers while the other quintet whirled overhead providing lift.

"Generally. Some big fusion fight happens near a certain Pacific island, stories bounce around for a couple thousand years, and boom! dudes in floppy monster costumes are smashing a scale-sized Tokyo."

"Humanity seems to have a general aversion to ge-AAAAHhhh!" A green fragment hurtled away at a tangent line from the 'helicopter', and Peridot plummeted while spinning, her doner kebab turning into a tzatziki-flavored cloud of falling debris.

"Peri!" Lapis dove, trying and failing to anticipate Peridot's erratic fall.

The green gem lurched sideways as her other quintet of floating fingers whirred up to speed. She hit an office window like a particularly large, green bird eliciting muffled cries of alarm from within.

A pair of window washers goggled when the water from their buckets flew up and out, engulfing the green lady and cutting off her nasal shriek of alarm. Then a blue lady and the water-trapped green one rose past, up and up until they disappeared onto the top of the building.

* * *

Lapis flitted up where Peridot was crouched behind an industrial AC unit like a roof gremlin. The sparks and muttering from her last visit had ended, leaving the green gem in a cloud of gloom.

"Hey Dot." Lapis smiled with false cheer. "I found this. It's yours right?" She held up the green cylinder fragment that had gone flying as Peridot had gone falling.

Peridot looked over her shoulder. "Affirmative," she said in a weary voice.

Lapis gave Peridot the finger and, with a titanic act of will, swallowed the obvious joke.

About a dozen times Lapis started to say something over to Peridot, comforting, inquiring, needling, but each time she stopped short. It was (very) hard but she forced herself to give Peridot the space and solitude she seemed to want. She occupied herself mainly by helping the gawking window washers, turning a skyscraper's-worth of glass pristine in a fraction of the time.

The window washers were sitting on their scaffold, lunch pails open, Lapis seated nearby and her feet kicking over the side. She was noshing on half of a ham on rye and nodding along while the other two dickered about some local sports teams. All this came to a halt when a quartet of green digits hovered into view and made an arrow pointing up. Overhead, a green figure waved down at them.

Lapis scarfed down the rest of the gifted sandwich. "That's my cue to go, gents. If your boss is somewhere else, I'd just take the rest of the day off."

"For a building this size, rest of the week, more like," said one of them.

"It's the union rep I'm more worried about," said the other. "No way you're card-carrying."

"Naw, I wouldn't want to be part of any group that would want me as a member." She glanced up. "Well, maybe one. Later fellas." She flitted up and away.

Peridot stood there, her expression resolute, if chagrined. "I appreciate your forbearance."

"It's no big deal, P. What's a wardrobe malfunction between us gals?" 

She was mentally kicking herself the moment the words left her mouth.

She started to say something to divert attention but then... she sighed. "Yeah, sorry. Not the best turn of phrase to use."

Peridot gave her a quarter smile. "But apt in its admittedly coarse way." It became a half smile. "I forgive you and apologize for my own... unscheduled maintenance."

"We're cool, P-ditty. Anyway, I'm pretty sure we're supposed to go somewhere else now."

Up to three-quarters. "Yes, forward."

She made a sweeping gesture of the panorama of cityscape. "Where to?"

"I believe I like our water tower in Beach City."

"Going forward... back to home?" Lapis teased even as she took off, heading towards the coast.

Peridot flew alongside her. "It does not constitute a return as Empire City was our original destination. This is merely a spontaneous change of locale."

And there was the full smile.

They winged (and coptered) back toward Beach City chatting as they went.

* * *

The water tower had become 'base' for them. Lapis took it as a personal accomplishment when they were able to linger there before some misstep drove them forward. Peridot had her metal _(the goof)_ , Lapis had her water, and right now they had one heck of a sunrise.

She couldn't help glancing to the side, there being more than one view to admire.

With a force of will she turned back to where the sun was rising up out of the Atlantic. It hadn't been easy but the air between her and Dot was certainly clearer. Things felt simpler. Less frantic. Kind of like the first time they'd gotten on this ride.

They sat in silence, each lost in the view, their thoughts, or both.

Also, there were donuts, because you don’t go and watch the sunrise without donuts. Lapis filled the silence and a bit of her form with the sugary, fried breakfast of champions.

Somewhere by the end of the frosted cruller, Peridot had scooted close, her head leaning on Lapis' shoulder.

"I jus-" // "I wa-"  
"Oh, sorry." // "Apologies."  
"You- no- Ahhh-" // "You may-"

Lapis and Peridot stared at one another until the former snorted and fell back. Peridot was only a moment behind her and the two wound up on their backs looking up at the retreating night sky.

Dimming stars reflected off of Peridot's glasses. "You may proceed. In fact, I insist."

"Okay, okay. Nothing deep, P. I've just really been enjoying myself. I mean, like, _really_ enjoying myself. We haven't had a streak like this since..." She lapsed into silence, letting the sentence linger unfinished.

"Agreed. This new modus operandi of ours is yielding promising results."

Lapis turned her head to look at Peridot. She wanted to call her an adorable nerd, but instead she said, "We've been trying. I've been trying hard."

"I can tell." Peridot chuckled.

"Hey! You green goober!" she snarked.

"You surly cerulean," was Peridot's rejoinder.

"Come over here and say that." Lapis, still lying down, arched an eyebrow in challenge.

Peridot propped herself up on her elbow as though to consider the notion. Then, without warning, she lunged forward, grappling the blue gem and blowing a loud raspberry on her cheek.

Lapis gasped, then grasped for Peridot's waist and attempted to reverse the tables. After a few moments of playful struggling neither could recall why they were tussling in the first place… Well, other than the sheer, silly fun of it.

Using underhanded floaty finger tickling, Peridot had come out on top. "Victory is mine! Praise me, praise me!"

Lapis was laying against the cool metal of the water tower, smiling upward. "Praise be unto Peridork."

Peridot accepted this with magnanimity. Looking down at Lapis, she said, "Laz?"

"Yeah?"

"I... I-"

Lapis' eyes went wide and she pointed up over Peridot's left shoulder. "Peri, look!" A shooting star was blazing across the sky.

Peridot rolled over and off, spying the meteor.

They sat there, looking up and watching it blaze yellow-white across the morning sky.

* * *

Steven was a morning person. Connie wasn't. However, rising to join Steven for training had gotten Connie accustomed to getting up when he did. She would still be yawning and lethargic when he arrived, but she'd at least be _up_.

This morning, however, Connie was completely awake.

She was sitting on a picnic blanket set down in a remote stretch of beach. A basket laden with breakfast food sat open but largely ignored. Steven was sitting on a rock playing his ukulele, tongue out as his expression was one of absolute concentration.

This was his third take, though the first atop the rock. During his previous two attempts the force field he'd been sitting on had winked out seconds into the performance.

The accompanying music to _While My Guitar Gently Weeps_ was playing over Steven's phone, also propped up on the rock, while Steven played the melody. This was the first time he'd been willing to pick up an instrument in her presence.

As the last ukulele note faded out it was as though the volume for the rest of the world faded back in.

"Steven, that was- When did- That was amazing!" Connie stammered out. A moment later she found herself standing and clapping while her friend's face graduated into an ever deeper blush. "Bravo! Bravo!"

Both laughed when the music repeated on Steven’s phone, which he scrambled to silence. "Gee, thanks. I have been trying really hard to practice."

"I can tell!" Connie couldn't seem to make up her mind on whether to stand or sit, eventually letting gravity break the tie as she flopped back to the picnic blanket.

"I'm just glad you liked it. I've been really nervous about doing this." He reached up to mess with a hearing aid only to poke his ear lobe and chuckle.

Connie had pulled her knees close and was resting her head on them. "I'm impressed. Really impressed. Not just with how the song sounded, but with you, Steven. This is the first time I've seen you pick up an instrument around me. Remember that time I played the _Sorcerer's Apprentice_ song with your mom and dad?"

He nodded, uke spread across his lap.

"I remember your mom trying to hand you a ukulele and you passed and looked kind of glum afterwards. It's hard for me to believe you've come so far since then." Connie, a little parched from her earlier cheering, pulled a juice box out of the basket.

Steven gave a self-deprecating smile. "Yeah, but it's been seven months since then. That was back during New Year's, after all."

 _Oh, right. I guess it was,_ thought Connie as she took a drag on the juice box straw. Then a memory of her hiding at the edge of the deck while everyone was taking to the dance floor slid into mental view. Her throat felt a little tight as she loudly swallowed her gulp of juice.

Steven, ever perceptive about such matters, leaned forward and wiggled her ear, their sign for 'Are you okay?' coined the same day as its counterpart, the nose wiggle.

"I'm fine, I was just thinking back to New Year's and, well, you were too scared to play and I was too scared to dance. And now..." she gestured toward his uke.

Steven's eyes widened slightly, the way Wolf's did when he heard the fridge open. "Well... We could try now."

"What?! N-Now? I-I could never do that!"

Steven blinked. "Huh, what do you mean?"

Connie's grip around her knees tightened. "I've... never danced in front of anyone before. I mean, other than, like, a victory jig, but those don't count!" she insisted.

"Never?"

"Yeah. Think about it... everyone. Staring at you. What if you slip and fall on your face? Then everyone would see." Her face slid down, hiding behind her knees.

"Well..." he started, his eyes wide as saucers, "no one's staring right now?"

Connie was about to reply that, in fact, _he_ was staring at her, but just then a bright shooting star shot across the sky. She saw it and he followed her gaze up. Both rose to their feet and stared skyward in awe.

* * *

"Sorry, were you saying something?" asked Lapis after the shooting star blazed out of sight.

"Oh, um, nothing significant." Peridot cuddled up beside her.

"You know, watching the sun rise from a water tower while snuggling? Something this sappy usually has a soundtrack and airs at 2pm on a Wednesday," snarked Lapis.

"Hmm, I agree it does invoke a certain archetype. This even bears a striking resemblance to the Lake Victory scene from the mid-season finale of _Camp Pining Hearts_ , season four, which you may recall had a rather stirring instrumental accompaniment."

"Do you wanna do a little doo-wop to that ditty, Dot?"

Peridot rose and pulled Lapis to her feet. "The song, [The Good Earth](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXBy9mvdbCM), is of the big band genre, not doo-wop. But, yes, I believe I would enjoy that."

"I suppose I can hum a few bars..." started Lapis, smirking.

Peridot rolled her eyes behind her visor. "Fortunately, I came prepared for just such an eventuality." A holographic display flickered into existence and a few quick floating finger strokes later, music emerged from Peridot's limb enhancers.

The two moved higher, where the water tower was less slanted, and assumed their usual positions of Peridot as lead, Lapis as follow. It wasn’t long into the dance before Lapis’ inner monologue, a loud place full of doubts, worries, impulses, and oh-so-many quips, quieted down.

There was music. There was Peridot. Everything else could wait its turn.

* * *

The meteor blazed past. "Whoooa," they said in unison.

Connie looked down. Somehow she and Steven had wound up holding hands.

Hers became clammy.

She was about to pull away, some excuse or another rising to her lips, when Steven said, "Come dance with me!" He pulled her unresisting over where he could reach his phone. A poke or two later and a [chipper mix of electronic notes, acoustic guitar, and drum beats](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3d2dXr1_lA) enveloped them.

Internally, every corner of Connie was screaming: fear, performance anxiety, embarrassment, and a dozen other noises rang in her mental cacophony. Physically she felt flushed and dazed. She was convinced it was her heart pounding in her ears until she noticed it was actually the song's baseline. On instinct she stole a glance down at her gemstone; its lack of glow meant this incipient panic attack was all hers and not from a surge in ambient negative energy.

But...

But she was watching Steven watching her and he looked so open and approachable and every kind of safe.

Like a fire denied oxygen, her panic guttered to nothing.

Someone laughed. Oh, it was her. They were just making up the moves as they went and a corner of her said this must all look so embarrassingly silly. Her inner representation of Steven replied that there was no one watching. It was okay!

It was fun. It was _FUN_. Steven brought her through a twirl and then Connie, a grin splitting her face, did a freestyle thing where she twirled her arms and bounced in time to the tune.

The two locked arms and spun, Connie aware of nothing save for the beat and the free-wheeling excitement coursing through here.

* * *

They bobbed and bopped, falling into an easy-going Lindy Hop. On the horizon was a brilliant hemisphere that was turning the ocean into a carpet of light, a trail that led right to her and Peri. The day was dawning as a spotlight on them and that was exactly as it should be.

With the smooth synchronicity of a follow who knew and trusted her lead, they whirled, leapt, then Lapis was brought in for a deep dip that left the glow of the horizon and Peridot’s joyous face all she could see.

* * *

Connie and Steven scampered, their play churning up the sand in time to the beat. Breathless from laughing so much, Connie pivoted and nearly collided with Steven, but the boy stepped sideways and hooked a strong arm around her back, pulling her into a tight orbit around him.

His eyes were twinkling and Connie couldn’t help but laugh through the smile he was putting on her face. She was so giddy her only coherent thought was that she didn’t want this to end. She and Steven leaned in as they spun and the world grew brighter as they did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The promo and chapter art came from MjStudioArts.
> 
> This has been a long time coming, ain't it? We've been looking forward to Hiddenite making her grand reappearance, and _really_ looking forward to CS!Stevonnie showing up. You may note that Hiddenite looks different from her Episode 6 appearance. That's because Peridot has since poofed and reformed (Ep14) with a new outfit between then and now. Here's MJ's model for her new look:  
> 
> 
> And here is the model for the Connie Swap take on Stevonnie  
>   
> I know MJ tried to bring out more Connie features in the mix, and the cotton candy clothing is wonderful. Also, it bears pointing out that that model was uploaded to our project drive on February 10th, **2017**! This has been a REALLY long time coming and we're thrilled to finally _(finally)_ be here.
> 
> Tune in next Wednesday, April 4th for the the next installment of _Together Breakfast_.
> 
> * * *
> 
> A new bit of omake content for you to enjoy:  
> *) [What if canon!Steven and Connie, and Connie Swap!Steven and Connie met?](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12265302/chapters/32347248) by [br42](http://archiveofourown.org/users/br42/pseuds/br42) \- A new addition to Peridot’s What-If Machine Collection.
> 
> If you have a Connie Swap story burning in your soul that you want to see in our official, curated Omake collection, drop us a comment either in the Omake fic or here in the main fic and we'll get in touch.
> 
> Connie Swap has an official Discord for the fans. [Come check it out.](https://discord.gg/RQMDdhr)
> 
> As usual, we'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments and your asks at the [Connie Swap Tumblr](http://connieswap.tumblr.com/). Thanks for reading!


	3. Experiencing a Conversation

Hiddenite hovered near the edge of the water tower, watching the sunrise and basking in the warmth that bathed her from without and suffused her from within. For a long while she didn’t even notice she was without her fabulous aquatic eyewear.

Then Hiddenite lounged backwards across the tower, four arms running up and down her body as she stretched out like a diva across a grand piano. “It feels so good to be Hiddenite, and Hiddenite feels so good _today_.”

Running a pair of hands over the water tower with an affectionate caress she said, “Pardon me, beautiful, but can I borrow a cup?” With that, metal bolts unscrewed and hovered aside, a steel panel floated up and over, and a gallon of water shaped into a heart lifted up from within the tower.

“Oh, for me? Why you should have,” she cooed. A quartet of shapes split off from the heart, each shaped like a robonoid with scrubby brushes for legs. The watery cleaners scoured and danced across the metal panel’s surface until it shined like a mirror.

Hiddenite examined her new look appreciatively, trying on an assortment of glasses and visors she shaped herself from the floating water.

Content with the results, she mimed like a conductor, a baton of water forming in one of her four hands. The panel slid back into place and the bolts danced their way into position, spiraling snugly into their sockets. “Hiddenite can see you’re all… _riveted!_ ”

Floating upright she stretched and said, “Now, if all the world’s a stage, where shall Hiddenite perform? I’m certain Connie and her beau are hereabouts, or perhaps the people of the boardwalk would appreciate a star as large as moi.”

She started to hover forward toward what passed for a downtown in Beach City, her four eyes alight with mirth... when she slowed, coasting to a stop in midair. Her two left eyes closed as she cocked her head to the side and assumed a thoughtful pose.

“These two have worked so hard, I think a private performance is in order. Love yourself, after all, and how could I not? If others wish to watch, they’ll just have to play a game of Hiddenite-and-seek first.”

The floating fusion turned and began to soar in the direction of the forest, skirting low over the trees and lounging to one side so she could run ten fingers through the foliage as she went.

* * *

Someone new stood there in the sand, eyes closed and giggling, their arms wrapped around themselves as if delivering a self-hug.

“Wow, I never knew dancing could be so amazing.”

“Yeah, it’s fun but this is was something else.”

They opened their eyes and gazed at the sunlit ocean, drawing in a deep, contented breath. Then, remembering the breakfast picnic that had largely gone untouched, they turned, stepped forward…

...and promptly fell over. “Whoa!”

Brushing themselves off they said, “Are you okay, Steven?”

They wiggled their nose in response. Then their eyes shot wide with surprise, followed closely with delight. They laughed uproariously, stopping to wiggle their nose once then twice more. “So that’s what it feels like to be able to do that!”

“Wait, but…”

“Oh, see if you can wiggle your ears!”

They did and a giggle escaped out their mouth before both hands clapped over it, surprised. Looking up and to the right, they wiggled the one ear, then looking left, the other. Finally, their nose wiggled, which they watched while cross-eyed. A muffled giggle became a laugh which proved to be too much mirth for their hands to contain. They alternated between a deeper guffaw and a higher chuckle as they sat up in the sand, gripping their sides.

They sat there, the very portrait of amusement, reveling in being themself.

When the song on Steven’s phone changed, they stood up and said, “Oh, do you want to dance some more?”

“Heck ya!”

“Okay, I’ll-” Brows furrowed. “Something’s wrong. How am I- And where…”

Their expression softened. “Oh, are you okay, Connie? We can dance later if you want.” They went to fiddle with hearing aids that didn’t seem to be there.

“Oh phooey, where’d I-”

“Yeah, I don’t remember setting them down. Did they get dropped while we were spinning?”

“Maybe they did. I’ll search over here and you, uh-”

“I’ll come with you.”

“Right.”

They walked up and down their secluded stretch of beach, even going so far as to wade out slightly into the rising surf. As the water lapped around their bare ankles they noticed a familiar and yet foreign face looking back at them.

They raised their head and looked around for the mysterious figure who’d been looking in the water too. Finding no one, they glanced back down at the water and saw them again.

Brows furrowed, they said, “Steven, did you see-”

“Yeah. I really like their hair.”

“Okay, but… Are we… Did we somehow…” They patted themselves all over. “STEVEN! ARE WE A FUSION?!”

“Whoa, really?! Being a fusion is-”

Hands clapped to either side of their head and they screamed. “Aaah! AAAAH!”

They staggered back, stumbled, landed just beyond the reach of the surf, and, in a brief flash of light, split into Steven and Connie.

Connie sat there, dazed, a full-body shiver running from crown to toe as she vacillated between a deep frown of worry and a distant look of satisfaction. “That- That was…”

Steven, still barefoot, stepped over and sat down across from his friend, his face lit up with as bright a smile as she’d ever seen on him. “Incredible? Amazing? Crazy-bananas-whoa-roller-coaster-this-is-nuts?”

The world sounded different. It took her a moment to notice but then it clicked; a hand at the side of her head verified her hearing aids were back in place and listening for her. A quick toggling confirmed that was still needed. Little mysteries like that were dropped, though, as Connie looked at her friend, deep affection replacing the expression of worry on her face. Her cheeks were flushed and she still felt breathless, though whether that was from the dancing or the fusion, she couldn’t-

The look of worry returned and Connie pulled her knees up to her chest. Speaking in a quiet voice, she said, “That was dangerous.”

Her friend gave her a puzzled look, the teen still breathing heavily from their earlier exertion. “What do you mean?”

“Fusion. Fusion is dangerous. Remember New Years and Hiddenite? You know how everyone gets all worried or angry when Garnet’s around? The gems freak out every time fusion comes up, so it must be dangerous.” Connie clutched her knees to her chest, their tangible presence an anchor for her to clutch to while her body still thrummed from the earlier excitement.

Steven sat there quiet for a time, clearly grappling with the issue as well. “What about Tiger’s Eye? From what you told me, miss Jasper and Peridot didn’t have problems afterwards.”

“Tiger’s Eye was just a tool needed to finish a job, not something personal. But this was-” She stopped and looked at Steven, eyes wide with an unspoken question.

He picked up on her meaning immediately, answering hastily, “No, this was personal. Very… I don’t know what, exactly, but it meant something. A lot.”

Apparently Connie had been holding her breath, her chest and shoulders one giant knot, because as soon as he said that she exhaled and her shoulders slumped, one fewer worry gripping her. “Yeah, it was for me too. I- I don’t want fusion drama to mess up our friendship, Steven.” In a quieter, almost defeated voice she added, “It’s too important.”

Steven reached out and took one of Connie’s hands, giving her a comforting squeeze. His expression was sad but serious. “I understand. If that’s how you feel then we won’t do it anymore.”

Connie almost winced. Now that Steven was agreeing to stop, her fears were silenced enough for another part of her to be heard, specifically the part that thought that had been the best thing ever.

There was a long silence as Connie wrestled with diametrically opposed feelings, her hand squeezing Steven’s that much tighter for support.

Connie bit her lip, her inner turmoil still unresolved. Slowly, as if the words were difficult to form, she asked, “So… Since we’re going to give all of this up afterwards…” She looked Steven in the eyes, unsure even of her own expression as she did so. “Do you want to try it one last time?”

“Oh my gosh, yes!”

* * *

Jasper strode off the warp pad, but as the cold calm of the sanctuary stole over her, her gait lost some of its urgency. In the last moment she was able, Jasper felt angry at being denied her anger.

She walked the stairs down, consigning herself to the introspection she couldn’t avoid here. It was a natural consequence when most of your inner noises have been quieted. She used to welcome it, as she had her time alongside Citrine. But now Citrine was more memory than not and all she had left was the cold comfort of lessons hard learned. The hardest of all had come from her fight with Connie and Steven, though Doug had driven it home while she lay defeated on his floor.

Nothing hits harder than the truth.

Her days-long patrol was as much running away as it was running forward. She didn’t like it but there was no hiding from the fact while she was walking the sanctuary grounds. 

_Speaking of not bothering to hide,_ she thought as darkly as she could given her surroundings.

The Apostate sat cross-legged near Obsidian’s statue, petting an excited Ruby corruption like Jasper would Connie’s wolf. As Jasper approached, the Rose-loyalist picked up a nearby stick and tossed it clear across the grounds. The Ruby ran pell-mell after it, leaving the two of them alone.

 _Three,_ she mentally corrected. The Apostate stared up at her in silent invitation. Jasper returned the stare.

The Ruby corruption returned with the (smoldering) stick and was sent chasing it three times before Jasper broke the silence, what passed for impatience in this place compelling her to be the one to end their wordless contest.

“Why are you here?”

“Because you are looking for me,” said the shameless two-gem amalgam.

“I’ve looked for you lots of places. Why come to the one place we can’t fight?”

“You just answered your own question.” The stick came and went, and with it, the Ruby corruption.

The habit of frustration rose in Jasper, the gem grinding her teeth because it was what she would have done, had done for millennia, even though the emotion behind it was dimmed to insignificance.

The Apostate continued. “I enjoy fighting with you, Jasper. It’s like our sparring back when Citrine and Rose were in harmony. But this last week you’ve been coming back again-” The Ruby returned, the stick little more than charcoal at this point. Still worth chasing, though, as the scorched stick went flying. “-and again. You aren’t trying to fight-

“I am,” the perfect Quartz interrupted.

“You aren’t _only_ trying to fight,” amended the fusion. “You’re trying to have a conversation, but you don’t know how. But maybe here, you can.”

Jasper leered. “I thought you knew the future, fusion.” Back before the Schism, most new recruits nearly destabilized their forms when they learned the Rebellion not only had a Sapphire, but one that would fuse with, of all gems, a Ruby. Jasper was convinced the perma-fusion had gone out of her way to play up the mystique.

“If I saw everything, I’d have found a way to poof the smug out of you millennia ago.” This was a familiar exchange, the banter from a bygone era revived. The pull of the past was strong in Citrine’s memorial to the Rebellion.

Remembering her name sobered Jasper. “You stopped breaking Peridot’s tech. After only two days? I think you came here to hide.”

One of the Apostate’s limbs stretched out and fetched a new stick. The Ruby corruption returned to lay cinders at the fusion’s lap. The fresh missile went flying. “I stopped because it wouldn’t have dissuaded you. I realize that now. Also, because something interesting was about to happen.” A pause. “Is happening.”

Jasper stared at the fusion for a long moment but was met with impassive silence.

“If you’re here to talk, do it so I can be done. I can’t fight you here, but I _can_ carry you to the warp pad with me.”

A hint of a smile. “You could try.” Then the amalgam looked in the direction of the center of the sanctuary, of Citrine’s statue. “I don’t blame you for Malachite. I used to. But you were just one boulder in an avalanche, and not even the biggest. Now, with Lapis learning and with Citrine fused to a human, you’re the last part of that avalanche still rolling.”

Jasper crossed her perfect arms across her perfect chest. “Connie is no fusion, Apostate. She is her own gem.” If Jasper were capable of it, she’d be crying or pummeling something, so raw was the emotional wound that Citrine was… gone.

Here, at least, she could put that fusion in her place without showing it. She barreled on. “And Malachite turned the war in our favor.”

The Apostate rose to her feet, a sign of needling that broadened Jasper’s grin. You couldn’t be violent here, but you could still be petty. The amalgam spoke. “Malachite taught the Rebellion that fusion could only, _should only_ be used as a weapon. That anything more was dangerous. Lapis made Malachite what she was, you made her the worst kind of stable, and Citrine used her again and again.”

“You’re just jealous because your fusion accomplished less.”

“You’re just mad ‘cause you’re single.”

Yes, pettiness was absolutely still a thing in the sanctuary.

Jasper clenched her fists, the reflex of anger, the motions of rage showing even as none burned within her. “I had my general for the whole of the war and millennia since. I was her weapon, the instrument of her will, the closest of her gems. I was with Citrine at the very end, fighting the fused Quartz battalions as Homeworld fled. She, Lapis, and I were one at the moment of victory.” Jasper leaned in, towering over the fusion. “What were you doing, Apostate? Where was _your_ general?” She punctuated that last point by prodding the roses decorating the fusion’s chest.

There was another long silence, three eyes meeting two. The Apostate was the one to break contact first, turning her back on Jasper and walking a few paces away. The Ruby corruption came, whined for another throw of the stick, lost interest, and wandered off before the fusion spoke next.

“It was always with Lapis, though.” She turned to face Jasper, her palms upraised. “Malachite or Selenite. To this day we don’t know what a Jasper and a Citrine make.”

 _And I never will, not in the way that counts._ Jasper couldn’t help it and she staggered back a step. Even if Connie fused with Jasper, it wouldn’t be the same. Connie wasn’t Citrine because Citrine was gone.

The hard truth reasserted itself, the blow she couldn’t defend against striking her yet again.

Jasper still had her pride here and that was enough, a redoubt from which to counterattack. “You’re so far gone you don’t remember what it is to be yourselves anymore. You’re perverts who stopped feeling ashamed. Fusion is a tool, a tactic, nothing more.” Jasper swept around and began striding in the direction of the warp pad. Over her shoulder she called, “I was looking for you so I could have a fight worth the name. Let me know when you’re gem enough to do more than talk.”

Jasper disappeared in a pillar of light, still raw, but standing prouder than before. She may have never been worthy of Citrine, but at least her general had been worthy of her.

* * *

The column of light winked out, Jasper gone with it. Off in the distance a pack of Rubies played. The sanctuary was otherwise sedate.

Garnet stood like the statues surrounding her. Possible futures flitted across her vision, potential branches of the very present that carried all slowly but inexorably onward.

Back at the fountain she had told Connie that things were changing and that the future wasn’t as clear as she’d thought it to be. That had grown even more true despite her efforts to keep pace. It was all happening so fast and this fusion-who-was-not-a-fusion was at the center of it.

Whatever Connie was, she made future-vision difficult. It was thrilling and unsettling both.

Shaking her head, Garnet let the future branches fade from her vision and the present reassert itself. That had hurt. She knew going in that it likely would, but knowing the future didn’t change that.

Not for the first time, Garnet considered the mixed blessing that was being immune to the sanctuary’s effect. She was already a balance of hot and cold, calm and excitement, positive energy and negative. It meant she could be calm while it had been malfunctioning. It meant she could be sad while it wasn’t.

Regardless, something interesting was happening. What followed would be better than if she hadn’t spoken with Jasper. Well, could be better. For some. The future was uncertain even to her.

That she didn’t actually like some of the people involved helped make the uncertainty more bearable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BR42 here. So a little backstory on this chapter. We intended to post the rest of _Together Breakfast_ today, with the text of chapter 3 being roughly... 30-40% of said update. There was gonna be new art too, because Connie Swap. However, I had a three-day Easter weekend festooned with family obligations that ate my face and we had a sick artist, all of which served to gum up the works. A problem, but Connie Swap has been updating on schedule for over a year now. We've coped with worse, so what gives? Well, this frickin' chapter is what gives.
> 
> I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to force a chapter here, writing the majority of what remained of the episode in the attempt and... it wasn't good. Not up to my standards for Connie Swap and certainly not up to the standards I'm striving for with CS!Stevonnie's debut. Too late into the process I realized the fault was structural. I had, for what were in retrospect short-sighted reasons, tried to fit the whole fusion thing into a single day (July 4th) when it really needed more time to play out. That fault had compounded into subsequent scenes, miring the fic in muddled mediocrity once you got past a certain point in the story.
> 
> I talked it out with the rest of the Team and we agreed to salvage what could be salvaged and post that, then spend another week fixing and rewriting. We had art in the pipeline as well, but decided to give that extra time too. If you go back to the previous chapter you'll notice a few small changes in the dates to accommodate this revamp: Garnet's sabotage spree ends a day earlier so that Ch3 takes place on July 3rd instead of the 4th. That's why this update is so brief, why there's no new art, and why we're not teasing Episode 21 right now with a promo picture.
> 
> * * *
> 
> Another bit of model art for CS!Stevonnie: Stevonnie Test Poses. You may recognize this as the Connie Swap-ified variant of [a popular Stevonnie picture](http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/078/399/2b3.jpg) drawn years back. It makes for a nice contrast between canon and AU.  
> 
> 
> Also, and this was something I only learned fairly recently, MJ's initial inspiration for Hiddenite was from the music video [Oh No](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr-SqRWImmI) by Marina and the Diamonds. At her best, Hiddenite is self-aware, vivacious, talented. At her worst, she's shallow, vain, and petty. This video shows a bit of both, all wrapped up in a catchy tune. Click the link above to watch it; I tried embedding it directly but I guess AO3 won't allow video embedding inside a post-chapter note section.
> 
> Tune in next Wednesday, April 11th for the the next installment of _Together Breakfast_.
> 
> * * *
> 
> New omake content for you to enjoy:  
> *) [Momma-Dot 2.0](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10673391/chapters/32745564) by [MjStudioArts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MjStudioArts/pseuds/MjStudioArts) \- Connie the toddler tries to talk to Peridot. **This omake is 100% canon.**
> 
> If you have a Connie Swap story burning in your soul that you want to see in our official, curated Omake collection, drop us a comment either in the Omake fic or here in the main fic and we'll get in touch.
> 
> Connie Swap has an official Discord for the fans. [Come check it out.](https://discord.gg/RQMDdhr)
> 
> As usual, we'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments and your asks at the [Connie Swap Tumblr](http://connieswap.tumblr.com/). Thanks for reading!


	4. A Day Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After you finish reading this chapter, there is a related omake story you might want to check out:  
> [Me, Myself, and I](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10673391/chapters/33133164) by TexasAndroid - A look at what might have happened with Steven and Connie between _Together Breakfast_ Chapters 3 and 4.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three chapters in one day?! That's one more than you usually do while claiming yourselves insane.
> 
> As you may recall, last week involved me, BR42, recognizing too late that I was trying to get a structurally unsound chapter up off the ground. Sure, with enough force behind it, even a pig will fly, but that doesn't mean it _should_. So I posted a polished portion of the salvaged prose and promised to finish this whole thing a week later.
> 
> And now I have. But this is essentially one-and-a-half updates in one, hence the length and chapter count.
> 
> You can treat this chapter as the second half of the previous chapter. They both take place on the same day, July 3rd, and this chapter picks up right where the previous one left off.

The sounds of _Golf Quest Mini_ filled the loft, extending out to an otherwise silent Beach House. Connie was splayed out on her bed, ostensibly reading but she hadn't turned a page in half an hour. Steven was grinding through one of the game's easier courses, Fair Waves Fairway, his fingers moving on autopilot.

Wolf's ears would twitch whenever the chirpy victory tune played after Steven sank a putt, making the sleeping canine the most outwardly active person present.

Steven's pixelated avatar, Lina, defeated the Whirling Windmill. The fight music ended and the breezy background music to Fair Waves Fairway resumed, a chipper mix of chiptune guitar and upbeat drums. Connie's pulse quickened and she looked up at Steven from the book she'd been ignoring. Steven's shoulders tensed and he turned his head just far enough to see her in his peripheral vision.

They shared a look, neither speaking, both certain what the other was thinking about. 

The in-game melody shifted, Connie's eyes fell back to the page she wasn't reading. Steven fidgeted with the controls, Lina approaching the next hole. A blush spread over their cheeks.

Six minutes later Lina escaped the water trap and returned to the Fair Waves Fairway overmap. Another mutual glance was stolen. The blush deepened.

With an act of will, Connie forced herself to stop thinking about... earlier. She read a page. Then two. She was just starting slip into the story when an itch made Connie's nose twitch. Eyes wide, a memory, a sensation raced through her and without intending to a giggle escaped her lips.

She clapped her hands over her mouth, cheeks fiery. Steven chuckled, the game paused and forgotten as he twisted around to face her. He wiggled his ears, prompting a snort to escape Connie. She went cross-eyed like she, _they,_ had earlier and wiggled her nose.

Both teens lost it, collapsing onto the mattress as hours of tension and pent up feelings escaped one laugh at a time.

Wolf chalked the whole thing up to pups being pups, snorted dismissively, then went back to his napping.

"Remember-" A peel of laughter cut off Steven's words. "Remember at the end when you took that bite of banana and then- and then-"

Steven's giggles gave Connie time to interject. "No way! That was you who did that." She was grinning ear to ear as she did. "Because after we separated you were going to say-"

By this time Steven had caught his breath enough to chime in with her, "It's a banana split!"

"Okay," said the boy, "the joke was probably me, but you were the one who wanted to eat food to see who got it."

"Really?"

"I'm pretty sure," he replied.

"Alright, and then we both said the joke, only you had a banana in your mouth so it was all, 'Ifh uh buhmamuh fwit!'"

Another round of laughter halted the reminiscence.

Steven rolled onto his side then propped himself up on his elbow. "That was really something."

Connie sat up, eyes and mouth smiling brightly. "Yeah, it was incredible."

Steven's expression grew earnest. "I'm really glad I got to do that with you."

Connie suddenly found it hard to meet Steven's gaze, her cheeks and ears warming. "Me- me too."

Neither spoke for a long while, the only sounds being Wolf's snores and the paused game's music.

In a quiet voice Steven said, "We can still be glad we had our... our together breakfast even though we can't do it again."

Connie nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

Steven sat up and extended a hand. Connie reached out and took it. The two squeezed, trying to convey and affirm the torrent of feelings that raged in them, that raged between them.

The warp pad chimed, its brilliance drawing shadows of them in stark relief across the wall.

Steven and Connie jumped apart, both looking at the pad with expressions of shock or guilt.

Jasper stepped off the crystal. "Connie. Steven." She made a quick scan of the Beach House before returning to them. "Where-"

"NOWHERE!" cried Steven, his voice cracking as he did.

It was clear that Steven had very little practice keeping things from his parents. From anyone, really. Connie, however, had been fibbing to her dad and trio of guardians for most of her life. Caught between personalities like those, doing so had been a matter of survival… to say nothing of the explicit lessons Lapis had given her when she was younger.

The Quartz paused, eyes narrowing slightly. "Where is Lapis?"

Connie scooched forward on the bed, partly obscuring her flustered friend. "She left early this morning with Peridot. We haven't seen them since."

A flicker of annoyance showed on Jasper's face. The warrior started to turn back toward the warp pad when she stopped. She looked at Connie, or her gemstone, it was unclear, then at Steven. Facing the pair again, she asked, "Peridot hasn't made you food?"

Connie blinked, thrown by what was, from Jasper, a non sequitur. "Oh, uh, no. Steven and I had b-breakfast this morning but I guess it is past lunchtime." The microwave in the kitchen showed it to be closer to dinner than lunch, though Steven and she had been too distracted to notice.

Jasper strode purposefully into the kitchen, grabbing the larger and more robust cookware that had been made specially for her. By the time Connie and Steven had had time to exchange puzzled looks, descend from the loft, and seat themselves on barstools, two grilled cheese sandwiches were being prepared.

Wolf, unable to doze through the siren's song of food prep, rolled off the couch and padded into the kitchen, tail wagging hopefully.

Another grilled cheese sandwich went into the pan and Wolf received an idle noggin scratch while Jasper worked.

Minutes passed, food was served, food was eaten. After Wolf was allowed to give the reinforced pan and titanium spatula his own enthusiastic cleaning, Jasper washed them both in the sink and put them away.

Steven dabbed his face with a napkin. "Thanks Jasper. I didn't realize how hungry I'd gotten." Connie nodded her agreement.

Jasper gave an acknowledging tilt of her head, the warrior looking thoughtful. "We should debrief. And talk of resuming your training."

"Debrief?" Steven turned and shot Connie an ear wiggle but rather than earning him some backup, it got him a wide-eyed flinch. His expression shifted from confused to stricken as he realized why.

Jasper raised an eyebrow slightly, then did what she usually did when others were acting odd: ignore it and rush headlong to her point. "Your challenge at the sky arena." 

She strode into the living room --Connie and Steven scooting around on their stools to face her-- then stood at a parade rest. "I respect your tactics. It was an unusual plan, but well-executed."

"You're not mad?" blurted out Connie, all guile having fled the girl when Jasper the Indomitable cooked sandwiches for them and humble pie for herself.

"I needed time to... appreciate the strategy." At that, Jasper bowed deeply at the waist toward Steven, something she'd seen the Quartz do on rare occasion for her dad. Head low, she said, "I will afford the victor the respect they are due."

Steven looked to Connie for support and Connie could only stare back. By the time the warrior rose from her bow, Steven managed to say, "You aren't, like, honor bound to serve me or anything." Voice inflecting up into a question, he added, "Right?"

Jasper smirked. "I didn't lose _that_ badly."

A breath escaped Steven, relief washing over the teen's face. "Oh, good. Because Connie and I kinda just got over something like that ourselves." His expression sobered slightly after that and Connie recognized that he was steeling himself. "Actually, there were some heavy things that got said. About you and, uh, Connie's mom."

Jasper didn't flinch or blink but there was an air of tension to the gem where there hadn't been before.

Steven gave her a lopsided smile. "I don't know what it's been like for you, Jasper, I'm a fourteen-year-old human, not an ancient warrior-monk superhero. But I'd certainly be willing to listen if you ever wanted to talk."

The two remained still, a tableau of attempting to bridge a gap a that could swallow the Grand Canyon. Then Steven extended his hand.

Jasper stared at it, confusion and just the tiniest hint of fear playing across her face. Then she squared her shoulders and accepted the handshake, her hand swallowing Steven's comparatively tiny one.

"I accept your offer. _If_ I wish to talk, you'll hear from me." She said it as though Steven had offered to cook for her if she ever got hungry, but the teen smiled radiantly up at Jasper all the same.

Retrieving her hand, Jasper said, "You should resume your training. You too, Connie."

Connie nodded. "Tomorrow's a holiday, so how about we start the day after?"

Jasper squinted at her.

Connie elaborated. "Like that time we went to Steven's house and there were fireworks."

"Only with hot dogs instead of ham and potato salad instead of black-eyed peas," added Steven.

Jasper did what she usually did when others were talking about things that were confusing or unimportant: ignore it and go on patrol. "Training the day after," she agreed. 

The large gem was about to turn and leave when an impulse seized Connie and she sprang off her stool. Wrapping the warrior's trunk-like waist in a hug, Connie said, "Thank you. For the meal. For coming back. For making things good again. I- I was worried."

Jasper looked down at Connie, her expression softening. A large hand caressed the back of Connie's head. "You're welcome."

The hug lasted a moment longer and then Connie released her guardian.

A whine cut through the quiet; Wolf, despite being the size of a small car, had been sitting unobserved near the living room's edge. 

"You want to come, fuzzy?" offered Jasper.

Wolf gave a pleased bark and padded over, ramming his head approvingly against Jasper's hip. "Alright then." Jasper gave Connie and Steven a minute nod of the head, then Quartz and magical wolf headed over to the warp pad. Both disappeared in a flash of light.

Silence.

"Connie?"

"Yes Steven?"

"Between the together breakfast and the Jasper lunch, I'm pretty sure this is one of the the best days ever."

Steven's phone chimed, her friend fishing the device from his pocket and poking at it. "That's dad. He and mom have been baking pies for tomorrow. Says one 'accidentally' got cut into slices and put on plates. Wants to know if we want to help him 'clean up.'"

By the time Steven looked up from his phone, Connie was already sitting on the edge of the couch getting her socks and shoes on, her silent answer clear. Looking up from her laces she said, "I think you might be right."

* * *

Dusk was falling, but in the forest a light show was in progress. Flash lights were arranged like stage lights, kerosene lanterns hung suspended in midair for ambiance, and the laser sight for a rifle (fortunately absent the rifle) was spinning and pivoting with such speed that its single dot looked like the unbroken line of a signature, the name 'Hiddenite' spelled out in looping, red-laser cursive.

At the center of it all stood the fusion herself, strategically-placed hubcaps, ferrokinetically-shaped sheet metal, and hydrokinetically-manipulated water cloaked her in a valkyrie costume straight out of _Der Ring des Nibelungen_.

When the Onion gang had attempted to ambush Hiddenite an hour previously, weapons and homemade pyrotechnics brandished, they had unwittingly supplied her with many of the ingredients she was missing for her performance. Most notably, an audience for her end-of-day finale. Also, Garbanzo's spear, because no valkyrie worth her breastplate is absent her spear.

Even if it did look like a toy in the giant woman’s hands.

During the final, sustained note, Hiddenite activated overhead some of the ersatz fireworks, jets of fire heralding the close of her Wagnerian performance. A curtain of water closed to a standing ovation. Pinto put two tiny fingers in his mouth and made a shrill whistle. Soup removed their pot helmet and banged on it.

The curtain parted --flowing back into the nearby stream to the considerable relief of the fish therein-- and Hiddenite bowed again, the material of her costume peeling off her from unseen forces. "Thank you, one and all. You've been the finest audience of woodland ruffians a four-armed Brünnhilde could hope for."

"Garbanzo," said Garbanzo, waving at the fusion then making a ‘gimme, gimme’ motion with his hand.

"Of course, you mean bean." Hiddenite handed the spear down to the boy, blowing him a kiss at the end, a kiss that Pinto snatched out of the air. "Now, I must bid you all adieu; the after-party is cast members only."

As the Onion gang gathered up the former props, Hiddenite floated up above the treeline. With a final four-armed wave to her erstwhile audience/attackers, she soared, making a lazy path back to the water tower.

Landing daintily atop the structure, Hiddenite took a moment to enjoy the commanding view of the sleepy beachside town. Looking herself over in the last light of day, Hiddenite said, "Dimmed but never dull, Hiddenite has staying power. Well done, ladies."

She hovered down into a lounged position, patting the metal affectionately. "Hiddenite knows you've been enjoying yourselves so be sure to book the next show soon. If we're feeling so bold, maybe we can do it in public next time." With a coquettish wink, Hiddenite ran her hands along her form one last time.

The giant woman became indistinct and then fissioned into two gems along with countless motes of light that swirled about before drifting away and flickering out. Peridot was sitting up with her gravity connectors splayed out while Lapis was laying in her lap. The former gave a nasally cry of excitement while the latter snuggled into Peridot, gripping one leg like a comfort object and giving a satisfied sigh.

Thrilled and content, respectively, the two remained in their spot, reveling at their ‘date’ as the sun set and the stars came out once more.

Sunup to sundown, it had been a good day.

* * *

Jasper and Wolf were still gone when Connie got home that night. Lapis and Peridot were absent too. The pie had been delicious, as had the dinner that followed, and the family game night she got roped into had been a blast.

Normally Mr. and Mrs. Universe were an unstoppable pair at Taboo, a game where you had to get your partner to guess a word without using any of the related words listed on a card. Steven's parents had decades of in-jokes and oblique personal references to call upon, allowing them to dance around the forbidden words with ease.

Connie and Steven were doing better than usual, the game neck-and-neck. When Steven looked Connie in the eyes and wiggled his ears, when Connie had flushed and immediately shouted out "Fusion!", Mary and Greg exchanged a look of awe and conceded. 

Connie had pointed out that she and Steven were only a few points ahead but Mrs. Universe just chuckled and said, "We know better than to try and follow an act like that."

The entire drive from their house to the Big Donut parking lot --the closest Mr. Universe could get her home without taking his van across the beach-- Connie had been preoccupied. She'd apparently been blushing too, since Steven's dad had asked her twice if she wanted the air conditioning turned down.

Showering, brushing her teeth, getting into her pajamas; all of that drifted by in a haze. That night, Connie clutched at her pillow, trying not to think of fusing with Steven. That night, Connie drifted off to sleep thinking of nothing else.

* * *

Lapis stepped into a Beach House that was quiet save for the soft sound of Connie's slumber. Peridot was only a step behind. By habit, they crept in until Lapis remembered that Connie didn't wear her hearing aids while sleeping.

"Right, girlie's got her ears out. We can call off the ninja routine, Dot."

"Ah, of course." Peridot nodded, then an impish smile crossed her face. While a pair of floating fingers closed and locked the door behind them, Peridot advanced on Lapis, her expression somewhere between playful and sultry.

When the two of them were dancing, Peridot was the lead. This was seldom the case otherwise; Lapis had pulled Peridot out of Homeworld space, had been her tour guide to Earth, had usually been the instigator of whatever brand of mischief they were up to. So she was pleasantly surprised at this turn of events. "Hey Periwinkle. Hungry? Because you look like you're going to take a bite outta me."

A holographic display popped up, something flashing on it. Peridot dismissed it with a glance, stalking up to Lapis and leaning in closely. "I very well might."

Lapis didn't realize she had been backing up until she bumped into the temple door. She normally only saw a look like that on Peridot's face when they unearthed some particularly intact cache of tech. Lapis tried to fall into her cool persona but found it difficult. If she had a heart, it'd be thumping. She _did_ blush, though, and she's pretty sure it was happening now. "Someone's in a good mood."

Peridot wrapped her limb enhancers around Lapis' waist, pulling the pair of them even closer. "Today was superlative. I admit I had my concerns at the onset of our resumed coquetry, but no more."

"I'm not gonna fly off this time," said Lapis. Fact is she wasn't going anywhere, pinned to the wall as much by Peridot's gaze as her arms.

Another holographic display popped up and was banished just as quickly.

Peridot's expression softened slightly. "I know you wouldn't," she said before that eager look returned.

Lapis wiggled against the door, trapped and quite content to remain so. "So what do you want now?"

"You."

No dozen words and a thesaurus. No games. No hemming and hawing over other things she should be doing instead.

Peridot wanted Lapis.

If she'd had the presence of mind, Lapis would have said something wry and disarming. Worked in a nickname and maybe a funny movie reference or something. Here, now, the extent of her wit was to swallow and nod her head.

The door opened behind her, swallowing them both. After the third holographic interruption, Peridot disabled her eyewear. And locked the room.


	5. Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After you finish reading this chapter, there is a related omake story you might want to check out:  
> [Deleted Scenes - Episode 20: Together Breakfast](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10673391/chapters/32948448) by [br42](http://archiveofourown.org/users/br42/pseuds/br42) \- Three alternate takes on the scene at the barn.

That morning Jasper came and went, claiming something was showing up on the 'Gallon Interface,' the device Peridot had created to forward alerts to the warrior whenever gem monster activity was detected. Wolf had staggered off the warp pad, emptied his water and food dishes, accepted a brief ear scratch from Connie, then flopped down on the couch and was immediately asleep.

Shortly after the Quartz had vanished, Lapis and Peridot had come out of Lapis' room dripping wet and giggling incessantly. Lapis had asked how Connie's yesterday had been, prompting Connie to stammer something nondescript while fighting down a blush.

When she'd asked the same, attempting to change the subject, Peridot had been rendered a snickering mute. Lapis had literally pushed Peridot out the door claiming, 'Gem sighting in the forest. Further investigation needed,' which, for some reason, made the giggling intensify.

According to a text from Steven, the Universes were spending much of the daylight hours of the Fourth of July getting ready for the nighttime festivities. Somehow Steven's family had become the mayor's primary contact for civic celebrations, probably because their beach party in April had been seen as a rousing success. 

The people of Beach City treated monster attacks with the same relaxed resignation others reserved for bad weather.

Connie was sitting at the kitchen counter drumming her heels against the barstool, eating cereal and staring at her phone. On the one hand, a busy day with the Universes was still going to be fun. And Connie rarely needed much convincing to spend time with Steven. On the other hand, the thought of spending an entire day in proximity to Steven with... recent events still hanging heavily between them made Connie exhausted just considering it.

Settling on an internal compromise, she tapped back that she'd join in time for any last minute setup and the Fourth of July party itself. Her excuse of needing to focus on homework had the merit of actually being true, even if Peridot had been too distracted lately to give Connie's coursework much attention.

Finishing her cereal, Connie hopped down, tidied her breakfast, and tried to lose herself in assignments.

When Jasper warped back --a sensor tower had been toppled by... something-- she found Connie staring at the ceiling, _Golf Quest Mini_ going unplayed in the loft while the breezy background music to Fair Waves Fairway filled the house.

Without being asked, the large warrior went to the kitchen, confirmed there was bread and cheese enough, then began preparing Connie lunch.

* * *

“Keep it down back there,” joked Steven’s dad. “Any louder and I won’t be able to hear the sounds of silence.”

Connie was pulled out of her thoughts; she'd been staring out the window, watching the sun approach the horizon as the van approached the barn. Her options had been stare out the window or stare at Steven, and she'd decided the former was less creepy.

It was only after Steven laughed that she belatedly realized the joke, the like-named Simon and Garfunkel song playing over the van’s speakers.

“Hehe, sorry dad. Connie and me are just a little distracted,” answered her friend.

Connie shot Steven a grateful look which Steven returned with a wink, but both found a reason to look away soon after.

“Oh, excited about the fourth, eh? I guess fireworks are cool no matter how many monsters you’ve faced down,” said Mr. Universe.

With a squeak from the brakes, the van stopped, the barn looming large through the windshield. Connie had only seen the building once before and that had been while riding on Tiger's Eye's shoulder, the colossal fusion unable to warp directly home for fear of, “wearing the roof like a shirt.”

At a distance the barn had looked quaint. Up close the nicest thing Connie could think to say about it was that it looked sturdy.

“Alright you two, come help an old man get stuff for tonight’s celebration,” said Steven's dad as he stepped out of the vehicle. “Anything that blows up or you can sit on goes in the van.”

“What if it does both?” called Steven, her friend regaining his mental footing faster than her.

Mr. Universe laughed. “Probably best it stays in the explosion pile. You only need to have one on-stage pyrotechnics mess up to know fireworks belong over you, not underneath.”

Connie trailed after the pair as they approached the most rustic of Mr. Universe’s storage. While the older was working on the combination lock, father and son shared some joke about luggage that Connie couldn’t follow. She helped Steven haul the heavy, sliding barn door once the lock was open.

She was brushing the rust and wood fragments off her hands when she looked up and froze in her tracks, Steven bumping into the back of her a beat later. Piled high was a hoard that rivaled Peridot’s. This was doubly impressive when you considered that Mr. Universe hadn’t been on Earth for close to four hundred years and didn’t have access to a space that was bigger within than without.

“Is… is that a ramjet?” asked Connie, prodding a jet engine with a shoe while Mr. Universe waded through teetering piles of stuff.

“Huh? Oh, maybe. My aunt and uncle were big aviation buffs and this is all their stuff. Well, and some of my stuff too.” He ducked under an airplane wing that formed a lintel between sheer walls of boxes. “Okay, mostly my stuff.”

Connie helped navigate a rolling cart laden with folding chairs through the box- and aerospace-maze, Steven’s dad pushing from behind. Once they escaped the barn, Mr. Universe wiped his brow and they both noticed Steven rummaging through a box labeled ‘Shoes - ~~Old~~ Really Old.’

“Whatcha doing, Shtu-ball? All of those are gonna be too big for you.”

Steven whipped his head up and then blushed. “Oh, um, I was just looking for some shoes for, um…”

Connie’s eyes went wide. “Peridot!” she blurted out.

“Peridot?” father and son asked in response, the latter clapping a hand over his mouth after.

“Yeah, uh, Peridot sometimes wears shoes over her gravity connectors, but she doesn't have many that fit when she does it,” ad-libbed Connie.

“Really?” asked Mr. Universe, scratching the back of his neck.

 _"When in doubt, be vague,"_ explained Lapis back when she'd been schooling a younger Connie on the finer points of telling falsehoods. _"Then change the subject. If you make it personal, most people won't want to ask follow up questions either."_

“Yeah, it doesn’t come up often. Steven’s just being really thoughtful.”

Steven’s blush deepened. “You think so?”

Connie didn’t want to smile. Connie tried not to smile. Connie smiled. “Well, I mean, it can’t hurt to have some around.” Belatedly she remembered her previous fusion concerns and was quick to add, “Just in case. It’s not a regular thing.”

“No- no, of course not,” stammered Steven.

The two suddenly found the ground very interesting, cheeks flushing.

Mr. Universe looked between the pair and shrugged. “Well, if she wants ‘em…” and then he resumed pushing the cart over toward the back of the van.

The three of them continued to load the van up while the two teens continued to find reasons for being flustered. Steven's dad seemed amused at something though Connie was too distracted to really think on what.

A strange noise rang out, deep and sputtery like an angry bellow turning into a wet cough. All work halted.

"What was that?" asked Mr. Universe.

"It sounded like it came from the woods," observed Steven.

Connie's eyebrows jumped up. "Lapis said there was a gem monster sighted in the forest. I thought she was joking but I guess not."

"We need to get out of here. Hop in, kids. I'll start the van." Steven's dad shoved the cart aside, unloaded seats ignored, and climbed into the vehicle.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Universe, but I need to check this out." Connie tapped her gemstone.

Steven jogged over to her side. "Me too!"

A flurry of emotions crossed the retired musician's face. Eventually he settled on a healthy mix of worry and disbelief. "But don't you need your space shield to fight monsters?"

Steven disappeared into the stuff-filled van, feet kicking in the air as he wriggled through the debris. He emerged a second later holding his novelty backpack high, the shield visible in the gap between lettuce and tomato. "I brought it."

He'd also fished out Connie's (comparatively plain) backpack and handed it to her. Connie withdrew a sheathed saber and strapped it to her hip before shouldering the pack. With an act of will, a yellow ring of force sprang into being around the buckler Steven had just buckled on. Both held flashlights in their free hand.

"Wow, you two are ready for anything." Disbelief and a hint of amusement were added to Mr. Universe’s expression.

Steven smiled and nodded. Connie said, "Take all this back to town. Steven or I will call you when the coast is clear so you can get us. Although Lapis and Peridot are supposed to be in the area, so we might not need a ride home."

Steven looked a little queasy at the mention: shortly after Connie had gone deaf, Lapis had been flying him to and from the Beach House to act as Connie's interpreter. Lapis’ flights, however brief, were always eventful.

"There's a warp pad nearby." Connie pointed where she remembered arriving with Tiger's Eye. "They can use it to take us to the Beach House." 

That seemed to help son and father relax a little.

There was another noise, this time punctuated with the sound of branches snapping. 

"We'll be fine, dad,” assured Steven, adding, “I love you.”

Mr. Universe looked at them a moment longer and then shifted into drive. "Love you back, Shtu-ball. Be careful, you two." With a lurch, his van began to pull away.

Shield, sword, and flashlights at the ready, Connie and Steven walked side-by-side into the forest to confront the gem therein.

* * *

There was another noise. Steven and Connie halted, the latter reaching up to fiddle with her hearing aids. "Was... Was that a trumpet?" she asked, her voice laced with incredulity.

"I think it was a trombone, actually," answered the teen who lived in a music shop.

Walking forward, if a bit less on guard than before, the two made it a dozen yards before hearing, 'Blaaat. Blaaat. Bwom. BWOOOooom.'

"Definitely a trombone," he added.

Setting the shield to project a tall rectangle, Steven pushed some scrub aside and the two of them entered a clearing where...

"HIDDENITE?!" Connie's grip on her sword went loose as she stared up at the sight before her.

The immense, green-skinned woman was hovering as though lounging upright with what appeared to be an old, corrugated metal roof panel shaped into an oversized trombone. Several branches littered the ground nearby, the first stars of dusk visible through the hole in the canopy.

Behind a watery visor, Hiddenite's top two eyes widened with delight while one of the lower two gave a broad wink. The fusion mimed setting the ersatz trombone on an invisible instrument stand, an act made all the more convincing with it hovering from ferrokinesis. Then she leaned forward, body splaying out in midair as though across a colossal bed, her head resting on a pair of hands.

The other pair reached out and pinched Connie and Steven's cheek.

"Connie! The genuine ingénue of both Hiddenite's hearts, and may she say you look ever so cute. Oh, and Steven, the paramour with valor galore." She reached out and tapped the edge of the shield's force field, adding, "Hiddenite thinks the yellow suits you." Another wink, this time from the other lower eye, "and she's certain Connie agrees."

"Oh, um, thank you miss. Misses? Thanks Hiddenite," managed Steven.

Connie bulled through the burgeoning embarrassment to address the green elephant floating in the room. "What are you doing here?"

Hiddenite hovered upright, dainty (though large) feet touching down. She made a four-armed sweep of the clearing. "Yes, it is a rather provincial platform, but as venues go it has its rustic charms. These two," she gestured to herself, one hand up toward her brow, another toward her back, "have been enjoying a day and Hidden- _night_ together, a tryst with a twist in the forest. Though right this moment, she is indulging in a little musical playtime. Hiddenite can't perform brass with powers alone, it needs lips to blow, so a little noodling under the stars was in order." She reached up and snapped another branch from the tree, tossing it casually aside, the view overhead clearer.

"Lapis and Peridot have been fused all day?!" Connie reached out and had to steady herself against Steven.

Hiddenite preened. "Yes, she's very proud of them. And you."

 _She saw Steven and me fuse?!_ Eyes wide, as fear and guilt and shock rocked her, Connie squeaked out, "Me?"

Hiddenite ruffled Connie's hair, patted her shoulder, tapped her nose, and caressed her cheek simultaneously. "Very. You got the lovely Lapis to listen during that soiree melee. She and Peridot have used that sturdier foundation to build the incomparable sight before you. You've improved on perfection, dear."

Steven switched off his shield then stared up at the towering woman. "So, you're happy and miss Peridot and miss Lapis are happy?"

“They and she are ecstatic.” The towering woman leaned in close, her voice conspiratorial. “It’s how Hiddenite can fly, you know: enough happy thoughts and you don’t even need fairy dust.”

She hovered up, smiling as Steven laughed. Then, looking thoughtful for a moment, the teen said, "Uh, would it be okay if I have a quick chat with Connie?"

"So long as you two don't leave a lady in suspense. Hiddenite can't promise she won't-" the ad hoc trombone leapt from its invisible stand into one of Hiddenite's hands, "- _horn_ in sooner or later."

Steven pulled Connie aside while Hiddenite played a mellow bit of jazz behind them.

"Connie, maybe we don't have to-"

Trying to be an enormous fly on the wall, Hiddenite had floated such that her head was hovering just over the pair. She made a look of feigned innocence, her top pair of eyes sparkling with mirth.

Switching to sign language, Steven started over. "[Maybe fusion isn't something scary after all. Peridot and Lapis were able to make it better, after all.]"

A part of Connie thrilled at this possibility, but the rest of her remained guarded. "[I don't know, Steven. Hiddenite seemed okay at first over New Year’s but you remember how it ended.]"

_With tears, drama, property damage, and Lapis missing for three months._

Steven pursed his lips and appeared to be chewing the inside of his cheek. "[But- Maybe with their help we could- Wouldn't you like to-]"

Connie felt her chest tighten and without intending to, she was nodding. "[Yes. But…]” Connie paused, trying to articulate the heavy feeling inside her. “[I'm scared, Steven. Will the gems accept it? Will it make things worse for them?]" She looked up from Steven's hands and signed, "[Will it make things worse for us?]"

Steven gave Connie a wan smile and reached out to squeeze her forearm. The two had a moment of shared helplessness, neither able to see the right way forward, neither happy giving the whole thing up.

The moment, however, was shattered when something large pushed its way through the brush and then, in a gravelly voice, said, "Stars, not this again."

Connie and Steven swiveled around, both jumping apart and looking a little guilty. "Jasper!"

The sound of a sad trombone, 'whaaah whaaah whaaah whaaa-a-a-ah', played nearby.

Instrument hovering to the side, Hiddenite stood in the center of the clearing, head jutting up through the hole in the canopy, two arms crossed and two more akimbo. "Hello Jasper. Out for a little woodland stroll?" Her voice was laced with skepticism.

Jasper huffed and drew herself up straight. "I warped back to make sure Connie had food. Universe showed up to see if she and Steven were home. Said they went after a gem corruption in this area. Looks like they were only half right."

Hiddenite rubbed the sleeves of her lower limbs while the upper two remained crossed. "Har har. Normally this would be when Hiddenite says something biting and hilarious to tell you off, but she'd rather love herself than hate on you." Her arms spread wide in welcome and her stance became less guarded. "If you promise to play nice, she'll invite you to the next performance." The arms crossed once more and she fixed Jasper with a four-eyed glare. "Tonight, however, is a private affair."

Jasper shook her maned head. "How Lapis talked you into this again, Peridot, I don't understand. I thought you'd learned your lesson after last time."

The fusion rolled her many eyes. "Your letter is being returned because you have the wrong address. It's Hiddenite, you perfect dunce. You are speaking to Hiddenite. Tiger's Eye is more than Peridot standing on your shoulders. Does Hiddenite need to draw you a diagram?"

Arms crossed, Jasper's tone was lecturing, almost bored. "I'm speaking to Peridot because Lapis has shown herself to be unable to control herself. Peridot, end this shameless display. Fusion is for drastic situations. It is a tool, a tactic. Tiger's Eye is the name for a weapon, not a person."

It was hard to see in the waning light, but Hiddenite's coloration appeared to dim. "You're the tool, Jasper, which must be why Tiger's Eye won't be winning any personality contests. Hiddenite is a lover, not a fighter, an instrument, not a tool. Clearly, such matters are beyond your clumsy, Quartz comprehension."

Steven and Connie had unconsciously faded to the edge of the clearing, Connie's mind simultaneously numb and screaming while watching a familiar tableau. In a variation of how the Jasper-fusion argument went last time, Steven and Connie were hiding behind the force field of the shield, Steven having expanded it to maximum size and positioned it between them and the others. The two were holding hands, Connie's in a white-knuckle grip.

Jasper squinted up at the towering woman. "Hiddenite is a distraction. A mistake. A fetish. Peridot, what did Connie eat yesterday?"

Hiddenite had been radiating menace but the question seemed to trip her up, her top eyes opening wide. "What are you blathering about?" she stammered a second later.

Ignoring the question, Jasper pressed her cross-examination. "What did she eat today? When was the last time that homework thing of hers was graded? What is the status of the sensor tower cluster north-west of here?"

Hiddenite paled further, her top eyes furrowed while her lower eyes looked furious. "I don't- Jasper you- Surely she had- Girlie is- Stars! The alerts from- Dot, no! We can- I don't know. I don't know!"

Watching two voices babbling in alternation from a single mouth made an already surreal experience stranger and an already unnerving experience worse. A distant part of Connie's mind hoped she wasn't hurting Steven's hand, because she was starting to hurt her own.

“You don’t know and you should. It’s your duty. Anything could have happened but you abandoned your post,” admonished Jasper.

Hiddenite turned, top eyes pleading, almost panicked, her bottom pair closed. "Connie, are you well? Are you nourished?"

Connie opened her mouth to speak but the words hid in her throat, her one cogent thought a plea that her family not explode apart like last time.

"You shirked your obligations, Peridot. What's more important? Connie?" She gestured dismissively at Hiddenite. "Or this?"

There was a loud bang and a series of flashes that caused Connie and Steven to jump. The Independence Day fireworks display was underway.

Hiddenite’s form wavered. She became an indistinct blob of light and then collapsed into a sobbing Peridot and an angry-looking Lapis.

Jasper nodded, satisfied.

"Oh no you don't!" shouted Lapis, staggering to her feet. "You show up here and start belittling Peridot like you're an Agate with something to prove? Well jank that!"

Lapis summoned wings of water, either to fly up just high enough that she could glare down at Jasper, or because her legs were still unsteady. The two glared daggers at one another.

"You want to make this New Year's two-point-oh? Do you?! Then you don't get to pick and choose. Peri schooled us. We both ditched Connie when she was a rugrat. Dot was the one keeping her fed and healthy while you, me, and Dougie were off scowling at the Citrine-shaped hole in the world. You don't get to dis Dot. Least of all on Connie."

Jasper scowled, body language radiating intransigence. "If I hadn't come here, when would it have ended? Should I wait until the two of you implode on your own? Someone has to be the responsible one."

"Responsible? That's rich! My name is mud, I'm a screw up literally older than dirt. But at least I'm capable of learning." Lapis turned and pointed in Peridot's direction, the technician still consumed in self-recrimination. "Peridot and I have been doing this differently. We didn't jump gem-first into fusion. We're talking _about_ us, _listening_ to each other, and when the going gets tough, I don't become a blur over the horizon."

"More of your rationalizations. They're the only thing that changes between these tiresome cycles," growled Jasper.

"Ugh!" Lapis' arms curled into fists, the gem the picture of frustration. "That's the problem with you. You're too tough, too stubborn for anyone to slap any kind of sense into you. When Connie beats some into me, it sticks! But after you found Citrine, you were done. 'Let me know when there's something to punch,'" Lapis said in a gravelly impression of Jasper.

Jasper said something but even with the fireworks display petering out it was too quiet to be heard. Lapis herself leaned in closer. "What was that, OJ? I didn't catch that through your perfectly punchable face?"

"Citrine is gone," she said. "CITRINE IS GONE!" she roared.

Like a leaf caught in a sudden wind, Lapis tumbled backward a few feet, only just staying airborne.

"She never loved me. Not like I loved her. I was unworthy. Me! Is that what you wanted to hear?!" Jasper was angry, furious, but she was a tightly coiled spring, not a rampaging bull. Her movements were economical even as her fists were clenched with force enough to sunder boulders.

In comparison, Lapis had gone loose, gawking at the perfect fool who was suddenly speaking truth. Words failed her, her eyes flickering across Jasper as if seeing her for the first time.

"Connie isn't Citrine. She will be great, she will be mighty, but she will not be-" Jasper's breath hitched, "She will not be her mother."

Lapis gasped, Connie doing the same in stereo. Jasper had never once referred to Citrine as anything other than 'Citrine.' To call her 'her mother' would be to acknowledge Citrine in the past tense; there could be no other relation with only one gemstone to share between mother and daughter.

Jasper's expression didn't soften, but her rhetoric did. "That you and Peridot crave satisfaction is fine. But you'll find none in fusion. Citrine could have given me everything with a word; she didn't need to dance, too."

Once more Lapis could only stare, watching as, in defiance of all wisdom, the tiger really could change its stripes.

This time Jasper's face did change, the Quartz looking pained, vulnerable. "Did you find satisfaction in Malachite?" she said in what, for Jasper, was a plaintive tone.

Lapis' mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. A second later she gave a small shake of her head.

Jasper's demeanor harded. She looked almost bitter. "I thought not."

"I'm sorry. Connie, Jasper, Steven, I-" All heads turned to face Peridot, the gem having managed to claw her back from the emotional pit in which she'd sunk. She blanched at the attention. "I'm deeply sorry for my lapse in judgement."

That sobered Lapis, the svelte gem landing and looking wide-eyed at her companion. "Wait. Dot, no! Even if we did mess up somewhere, 'Wherever this goes, let it be forward.' Remember?"

Peridot rose to her gravity connectors and hesitated, looking at Lapis with a flicker of a smile. Something, perhaps a fidget of Steven's moving the force field, caught Peridot's eye and she turned in Connie's direction. Her expression immediately fell. "I'm sorry, Laz. I shouldn't. I can't. I- I must go."

The green gem raised a limb enhancer skyward and flew away, wheeling in the direction of the Beach House.

Lapis was staring at her in disbelief, her world having shrunk down to the receding green figure.

Jasper walked over to the teens. "Warp pad's this way," she said in a firm but quiet voice.

Steven looked at Connie but Connie was no more capable of action than Lapis, each trapped in a situation they could not yet accept as reality. Disabling the shield, Steven gently led his unresisting friend forward, each following behind Jasper as the large gem broke trail through the underbrush.


	6. After the Fireworks

Connie never once loosened her hold on Steven, which was why when Steven lost his footing mid-warp, Connie too was pulled off-balance. As soon as gravity reasserted itself, Jasper snatched both teens out of the air and deposited them gently on their feet.

Stepping off the warp pad, Connie noticed the smell of food before she acknowledged the sound of cooking. For a moment she feared she'd turned off --or worse, shorted out-- her hearing aids. But no, she was just in emotional shock, a state of distraction her nose was apparently immune to.

Wolf could be similarly unshakable when certain smells were present.

Steven led Connie to the couch, the boy as unwilling to leave her side as she was unwilling to allow him. He pulled out his phone and, with one hand, responded to the missed messages and calls that had gone ignored.

In the kitchen, Connie saw Peridot working double time, the gem standing at the center of a swarm of floating fingers preparing dinner. This she did while navigating through a cloud of holograms so dense as to obscure her almost completely.

Parting the cloud for a moment, Peridot turned her way and said, "Dinner should be ready in fifteen minutes, dear." Addressing the other person on the couch, she added, "You are, of course, welcome to partake as well, Steven." She smiled, though it failed to reach her eyes.

With that, she disappeared once more into the cloud of technology and guilt.

Something bumped against Connie's ankle. Looking down she saw Wally working as fervently as its creator. Motion at the corners of her eye showed that two or three of the more reliable ersatz robonoids were doing this and that as well, all in a frenzy of activity.

It reminded Connie of how water would sometimes tremble if Lapis became excited or agitated. Apparently Peridot had a similar tell, but conveyed through her tech.

With things well in hand, Jasper walked over to the temple door. It opened at her approach and Connie caught a glimpse of yellow as the warrior disappeared within.

Time passed in a blur for Connie until a sudden silence in the Beach House drew her back into the present. She looked up to see Lapis standing just inside the doorway. The robonoids had froze in their places, the floating fingers were stilled, and the holograms were momentarily banished.

"You came back," someone said. It wasn't until Steven looked at her that Connie realized that someone was her.

Lapis gave her a wan smile. "Yeah. I promised I wasn't going to fly away." She then turned and looked at Peridot, her expression conveying wordlessly, 'But you did.'

Peridot couldn't meet her gaze, the activity around the Beach House resuming all at once.

Connie gave Steven's hand a squeeze and then released the grip. The muscles in her hand cramped some from having been clenched for who knew how long.

He wiggled his ears. _Are you okay?_

She wiggled her nose in return.

Lapis wasn't gone; it would be alright.

It wasn't until after Connie had given Lapis a crushing hug that she realized the wordless exchange between her and Steven hadn't immediately sent her back to, as he put it, their 'together breakfast.'

"It's been a day, y'all," drawled Lapis with feigned nonchalance. "I'm gonna call it a night. I'll-" She sighed, mustering a semblance of a smile for Connie and Steven. "I'll see you guys in the morning."

She disappeared into her room, a waft of damp air following her out.

Peridot did everything but literally hover over Connie while she and Steven ate, but eventually she too left for her room, promising 'to be prepared for the resumption of lessons forthwith.'

Wolf came home, breath reeking of hotdogs and potato salad. He gave Connie and Steven a happy lick and then immediately claimed the couch. The huge hound entered a food coma so deep he didn't even stir when Wally scaled up his flank and began the Sisyphean task of removing stray dog hairs from the dog himself.

Steven, despite having soothed his parents' concerns and explained his late dinner, went to pick up his backpack. "I should probably get home. Mom and dad worry when I'm out too late, especially when there's..."

"Rainbow stuff?" supplied Connie, their longtime phrase for gem business.

"Yeah. Goodnight, Connie." He started to turn slowly toward the door when Connie found herself crossing the living room.

"Steven, wait. Um, let me walk you home."

Grabbing her own pack and buckling on a saber --this was still Beach City; monsters happen-- she followed him out the door.

* * *

They had walked in contemplative silence as far as Dewey Park. Maybe it was the surrounding greenery that did it, but Connie finally cudgeled her thoughts into order.

"I think fusion is a mistake for the gems," she began.

Steven nodded, offering nothing more, aware that Connie was warming up to her point.

"Maybe Lapis and Peridot will make it work someday. It did seem like they'd made progress. I mean, Hiddenite was a lot cattier over New Year's, and seemed less stable than she did today."

They turned onto Main Street which, despite the name, was largely empty of other people. What little night life Beach City had was indoors. Monsters happen, but usually outside.

"Jasper and Peridot were fine with Tiger's Eye, other than a bit of pronoun confusion afterwards." Connie's hair stirred in what ocean breeze could reach them this far from the boardwalk. "But fusion has always been shallow or ended poorly for them. In fact, I'm beginning to think this Malachite character wasn't just another Rebellion-era gem."

"Yeah, I was picking up on that too," said Steven, his hands gripping the straps to his cheeseburger. "Do you think it was Lapis and miss Jasper? Like, fused?"

"I'm not certain, but that's my best guess. It... It would explain a few things about how they act around each other. Whoever she was, she was a big deal."

Steven nodded. They traversed another block in silence save for the sound of their walking.

"I think fusion is a mistake for the gems, but what I realized a little while ago was... we're nothing like the gems." Connie had been tracking Steven in her peripheral vision but at this she turned to look at him directly. His eyes were wide but his expression was, for him at least, reserved. Connie continued. “I tried envisioning us in any of the same situations as them and in each one it… wasn’t that big of deal. We’d figure it out. Maybe it gets harder when you're hundreds of years old or something, but I think, if we're careful, if we don't make the same mistakes they're making..." She trailed off.

"Are you sure?" Steven gave her a searching look. There were some things her friend took seriously and apparently fusion, or fusion with her, was one of them.

She reached out and took his hand in hers. "Yeah. For starters, I think _not_ fusing would be worse. I can't speak for you but other than when I was scared my family was going to fly apart, I haven't been able to stop thinking about before."

"OhMyGoshMeToo!" he said in a rush, as though he'd been holding his breath.

"I tried to avoid you some earlier, in case that would help, but if anything, that was worse."

Steven nodded. "Yeah, I may have forgot to open a few doors before trying to walk through them today."

Connie laughed, her hand covering her mouth as she did because she still felt bad for her friend.

Steven laughed in return. "One time I was even carrying a pie. This is, like, my third outfit for the day, actually."

They had to stop and giggle it out before attempting something so complicated as walking.

Once they did resume their trek, the two basked in the relaxed air between them, tension that had mounted again and again for most of two days finally coming undone.

It was only a little ways from Steven's house when the boy slowed, then stopped. "What will we tell the gems?"

"We won't," supplied Connie. "We can't. There is no way they could be supportive or understanding of something like this."

"And my parents? What about your dad?"

Connie paused. "I- I think it'd be better. Well, it could hardly be worse. But I'm still scared to tell them."

Steven nodded, his grip on her hand tightening.

Connie looked off into the middle distance for a moment, finally catching the memory that had been tugging at her since she'd left the Beach House.

"There was something Sadie told me way back when she and I went to the quarry with the Cool Kids. She said that I had to find a way to compartmentalize, to accentuate the positive and mitigate the negative, because there are some things you can do with some people and some things you can do with other people, but if you don't keep all of that separate, it'll make a lot of people unhappy. Even if they love you, it's too much to ask of them."

Steven considered this, his own gaze wandering upward as he saw something behind his eyes. "Yeah, I, uh, may not have been completely honest with my parents about how things went on my first, like, official mission."

"You mean going to my mom's sanctuary?"

"Uh huh. And, I mean, it's worked out, right? We're destiny partners, I helped you with monster stuff and you helped me with Jasper and we helped Jasper with..." Steven trailed off.

"With my mom," muttered Connie.

"And now, maybe we can help each other with fusion." He grinned at her.

Connie grinned back. "It was pretty awesome."

"It was _so_ awesome!"

Connie's cheeks began to complain before her smile relented. The two stood there across from each other, a block from Steven's house, her hands in his. She rocked on her heels, unsure of what to do next, not knowing what else there was to say, but oddly reluctant to leave.

Steven seemed to be having a similar problem as he stared back at Connie as if seeing her for the first time.

Connie licked her lips. They were suddenly dry. And her hands were clammy. "G-" She swallowed and tried again. "Goodnight, Steven. I'll see you tomorrow. I'm, uh, I'm really looking forward to it."

Steven nodded, apparently finding speech tricky too. His cheeks were as flushed as hers felt.

She turned away, breaking the spell, and they walked towards their respective homes. Twice she stopped and looked back to find he'd done the same. They exchanged a sheepish wave and a chuckle each time.

* * *

Connie stepped into the silent Beach House. Nothing was stirring save for the gentle rise and fall of Wolf's chest. If anyone was home, they were in the temple and concerned enough with their own matters.

Connie went through her bedtime routine (reps, stretching, light cardio, shower, brushing her teeth, removing and cleaning her hearing aids), climbed up to her loft, and curled up under the covers.

Looking over at a picture of Steven she smiled, feeling oddly ebulent despite the day (and night) it had been. “Happy Independence day,” she whispered to her distant friend and before long was asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The art of Jasper and Lapis arguing was drawn by BurdenKing, with the background drawn by MjStudioArts. Incidentally, below is a doodle MJ did when she was pitching promo picture ideas. We ended up going with the left one, but the right was a clear inspiration for the in-chapter art.  
> 
> 
> Also, check out this great Stevonnie drawing reader and distinguished Discord denizen CatOreo did.  
>   
> You can see more of their art on [their Tumblr page here](https://destoinic.tumblr.com/).
> 
> And so we come to the conclusion of _Together Breakfast_ , which could very well be called _Episode 6 Part 2_ because it was designed to be a massive parallel to our [previous firework-festooned fusion fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10872153/chapters/24151950). This time, however, Peridot was the weak link and Connie and Steven managed to end the night on a decidedly higher note. A win? No, it was a mixed bag, but certainly an improvement over New Year's. These things take time.
> 
> Anyway, per our schedule, we'll be taking a break from the main fic next week, though you can expect some sort of omake offering on the 18th. Tune in on Wednesday, April 25th for the start of **Episode 21: Lost and Found**.
>
>>   
>   
>  Strange things have been happening: sensor towers knocked over, disruptions at gem ruins long quiet, and anomalous activity in the warp network. While Jasper and Peridot are away on their own hunt, Lapis is supposed to investigate something closer to home with Connie and Steven along to help. Surprises abound as the lost becomes found.
> 
>   
> 
> 
> * * *
> 
> If you have a Connie Swap story burning in your soul that you want to see in our official, curated Omake collection, drop us a comment either in the Omake fic or here in the main fic and we'll get in touch.
> 
> Connie Swap has an official Discord for the fans. [Come check it out.](https://discord.gg/RQMDdhr)
> 
> As usual, we'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments and your asks at the [Connie Swap Tumblr](http://connieswap.tumblr.com/). Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Keeping track of all the updates to Connie Swap can get a little difficult, can't it? It doesn't have to be! If you go to the [Connie Swap Series](http://archiveofourown.org/series/630527) page and click the " **Subscribe** " button then you will receive an email alert every time a new episode is posted or a new chapter is added to _ANY_ fic in Connie Swap.
> 
> One button. All the updates.


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